The U.S. government is giving a thumbs down – to a request by TransCanada Corporation – asking for a pause in the review of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

The TransCanada request was interpreted by the Obama administration as a political move – which was aimed at increasing the company’s chance of approval by a possible Republican administration – after the American elections.

A State Department spokesman says the review is proceeding.

U.S. President Barack Obama has repeatedly made negative comments about the proposed pipeline.