The influence of big business on members of Congress, particularly Republicans, is too evident in the effort to push through the Keystone XL Pipeline bill.

Americans’ dependence on foreign oil is rapidly declining. The need for a pipeline that only serves the export goals of oil industries should be a red flag that proves big business dictates what Congress considers important. Tar sands oil, the material that would be pumped across 1,000-plus miles of America’s heartland, is so repugnant, offensive and vile (if spilled) that the residents of western Canada are fighting a similar proposal.

The pipeline company’s poor record and the fact that tar sands oil is highly corrosive should have been enough to sway any politician to not consider it. But big money speaks volumes in the halls of Congress, and letters to our so-called representatives are no match for big campaign donations.

This pipeline will not profit the American people and/or affect their access to oil products, so why do we need it?

E.L. Eaton

Sanford