Obama highlighted his support for the southern leg of the controversial Keystone pipeline, which would carry oil from Cushing, Okla., to refineries on the Gulf Coast.

Appearing before a backdrop of oil pipelines in Cushing, Obama said he was making construction a priority through an executive order issued Thursday that instructs federal agencies to expedite their review of the southern portion of the pipeline.

{mosads}“Today, I’m directing my administration to cut through the red tape, break through the bureaucratic hurdles and make the project a priority,” said Obama, who earlier this year rejected a GOP bid to force construction on the full pipeline, which would stretch from Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf Coast.

For the full article on Obama’s Keystone announcement on The Hill’s E2 Wire blog, click here.