U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today issued the following statement on TransCanada’s request to the U.S. Department of State to put a pause on its review of the Keystone XL pipeline energy project.

"Today's request by TransCanada doesn't change the fact that President Obama deliberately chooses to put arbitrary delays on this vital energy infrastructure project. Instead of saying yes to jobs and North American energy security, the administration continues to say no by its failure to make a decision on approving the Keystone XL Pipeline until it becomes someone else’s problem or until those who are attempting to invest in new American jobs simply give up. With bipartisan support for the pipeline growing, it's clear that the administration is more interested in politics than American jobs."

Murkowski, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has long supported construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. As one of her first actions as chairman, Murkowski led Senate approval of S. 1, legislation to approve the Keystone project, with a bipartisan vote of 62-36. President Obama later vetoed the legislation.