WASHINGTON – Brian P. McGuire, president and CEO of Associated Equipment Distributors, issued the following statement in response to the Obama Administration’s announcement of its decision to reject the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. “It’s inexcusable that after seven years of foot dragging President Obama has denied the cross-border permit for the Keystone XL pipeline project. His own State Department has said the project will support a substantial number of jobs and significant economic activity with minimal environmental impact.  Unfortunately, in the denying the permit, the president has made a decision based on political rhetoric rather than concrete evidence.  “Denying the permit means the president has cut off a safe and reliable energy source during a period of unprecedented instability in the Middle East.  Under the recent Iran nuclear deal, Iranian oil can again flow to world markets, but by rejecting Keystone the president is denying that same access to our closet trading partner.  Any way you look at - from an economic, environmental, national security or foreign policy standpoint - the president has made the wrong decision.”