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 The State Department is reviewing whether the proposed pipeline by
TransCanada Corp is in the U.S. national interest and is taking
input from eight federal agencies, including the Environmental
Protection Agency and the Interior, Commerce and Homeland Security
departments.
"Once we have received all of the information needed for completion
of the review, that information has been analyzed, and the final
documents have been prepared, a determination will be made," a State
Department official said.
The pipeline, which would take Canadian oil to refineries along the
U.S. Gulf Coast, has become a point of contention between the
Republican-dominated U.S. Congress and the Obama administration,
which wants the State Department to complete its review of plans for
the pipeline before making a decision.
 Republicans are pushing for the pipeline as a project that will
create jobs and provide energy security for the United States. The
House has passed a bill for the pipeline and the Senate is scheduled
to vote on it this month, despite the threat of veto from President
Barack Obama, who has questioned how beneficial it will be for the
United States.
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The State Department has jurisdiction over the pipeline since it
crosses the border. It considers factors such as energy supplies,
and the pipeline's impact on the environment and economy.
(Reporting by Patrick Rucker; Editing by Bill Trott and Andre
Grenon)
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