NEW YORK — A bipartisan coalition of senators has called on Secretary of State John Kerry to approve TransCanada Corp.’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

The pipeline "will supply both energy from our closest friend and partner and create jobs in the United States," according to a letter to Kerry, signed by 10 Republican and 10 Democratic senators. "Further delay will continue to hurt job creation and may damage our relationship with Canada."

The proposed pipeline’s new route through Nebraska was recently approved by Gov. Dave Heineman (amm.com, Jan. 22), but the State Department "has yet to inform the public and stakeholders of a definitive process for the final decision," according to the letter.

Separately, Sen. Mark Pryor (D., Ark.), part of the coalition, said that "without action, Canada will look west and we’ll miss a valuable opportunity to decrease our dependency on foreign oil and ensure our future energy security."