Braley supports Big Oil

By Wally Taylor

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Those of us in Bruce Braley's congressional district are scratching our heads.

Over the course of his career in the U.S. House, Braley has usually sided with Iowa families over special interests. Even when the odds were against him, he has voted to protect our jobs, our wallets and our health by standing up to big Wall Street banks and insurance companies. That is why so many of us in northeastern Iowa are incredulous after Braley recently voted to approve the dirty and dangerous Keystone XL pipeline project.

If there was ever an opportunity to stand up to the big oil companies that view our air, water, planet and health as collateral damage in their never-ending quest for record profits, it is over Keystone XL.

The Keystone XL pipeline is Big Oil's attempt to force some of the filthiest fuels in the world down our throats. It would run toxic Canadian tar sands right through the middle of our country to ports in Texas, where it would be shipped around the world.

Anyone who saw the recent news reports of the disastrous tar sands pipeline rupture in Mayflower, Ark., saw exactly what can happen when these dirty fuels are run through our neighborhoods. After being fined for failing to properly maintain their pipeline, Exxon Mobil's Pegasus pipeline dumped thousands of gallons of tar sands in yards, streets and water supplies.

The difference with Keystone XL is that it would carry nine times more toxic fuel than the pipeline that spilled in Arkansas - and it would be moving it through our country to export it to places such as China and Latin America. That means Americans would be bearing all of the risk and getting little of the reward.

The United States does not need this foreign oil. In recent years, higher fuel-economy standards and decreased demand have reduced the amount of oil consumed by Americans.

So why would Braley support something so clearly in the interest of Big Oil and so obviously a danger to everyone else? It's a question many of us in Iowa would like answered - especially as more concerns are raised about the threats Keystone XL poses to a healthy and secure future for all Americans.

Is it because of the promise of jobs? If so, there is no support for that promise. A study by Cornell University found that the Keystone XL pipeline will create far fewer jobs in the United States than promised and may actually destroy more jobs than it generates.

Beyond the immediate threats that leaky pipelines pose to our health and our water supplies, Americans from all walks of life have spoken out about the danger tar sands oil pose to our planet's rapidly changing climate. After a year of record droughts, wildfires, storms and temperatures, the last thing we should do is burn more fossil fuels that will further disrupt our climate.

But, even worse, tar sands are an extreme source of oil, much more toxic and dangerous for climate than conventional oil.

Keystone XL only makes sense if you are using the Big Oil playbook. Given his record, few would expect Braley to be doing that. That's why it is my hope that his vote for Keystone XL in the House Energy and Commerce Committee was an aberration, and not a sign that Braley's political ambitions are overshadowing what he knows is right for Iowa families.

Braley has a chance to make it right when the Keystone XL issue comes to the House floor for a final vote. Then, our 1st District congressman will have the opportunity to show us where he really stands: with big polluters or with us.

Wally Taylor of Marion is an attorney who has specialized in environmental issues. Comments: wtaylor784@aol.com