Rehberg bill qould force Obama's hand on oil pipeline

HELENA (AP) — U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg is sponsoring the House version of a bill meant to force President Barack Obama to act on a proposed oil pipeline from Canada, through eastern Montana and to refineries in Texas.

Rehberg's bill filed Thursday is the companion to legislation introduced Wednesday by Sen. Dick Lugar and 36 other Republican senators.

The bills would require the administration to approve the Keystone XL pipeline within 60 days, unless the president declares the project is not in the national interest.

The State Department has delayed a decision until 2013 to allow the developer to figure out a way around an ecologically sensitive region in Nebraska.

Rhberg said in a statement the pipeline would create thousands of jobs and the federal government needs to get out of the way.