ALBIA, IOWA (June 11, 2019) — Today, Focus on Rural America Chair Patty Judge held a conference-call with press to call on President Trump, during his visit to Iowa, to end the waivers going to the oil and gas industry that exempt them from blending requirements under the Renewable Fuels Standard. Judge was joined by Senator Kevin Kinney, who is Ranking Member of the Iowa Senate Agriculture Committee and farms in Johnson County, and Tom Vilsack, former Iowa Governor and Secretary of the Department of Agriculture for all eight years of the Obama Administration. In addition to the call, they released the following statements: "President Trump wants to say that he's helping farmers today as he celebrates the year-round E15 rule, but it's empty. Ethanol consumption went down in 2018 thanks to Trump's waivers. He's blocked 2.6 billion gallons from biofuel blending. We can't fall for Trump's smoke and mirror's. If the President wants to claim any favors for rural Americans, he needs to end these waivers now," said Judge. "We need to be able to sell E15 year-round, but the waivers are stalling us. Midwesterners and farmers are still really struggling. People in my neck of the woods are just getting to planting. Many of our neighbors in Illinois haven't even started. As I rush to get beans in the ground, the waivers are piling on top of the trade-whiplash. We're hurting and need the Administration to unlock demand for homegrown biofuels. Trump's waivers are closing those doors, leaving plants to idle, and even shut down," said Sen Kinney before leaving the call to plant beans. "The Environmental Protection Agency is giving with one hand and taking away with the other. The waivers run counter to year-round E15 and hurt the new rule's ability to drive demand. Year-round E15 is something Iowans have been working towards for years, but getting this rule is not going to fix market access over night, and it's certainly not going to help if EPA keeps handing out waivers to oil and gas companies. If the Administration wants to help the rural economy, after the floods and their own tariff missteps, it needs to put a stop to these waivers and let E15 do some good," stated Vilsack. The Administration's announcement on E15 allows the year-round sale of of fuel made with 15 percent renewable ethanol. However, until the waivers for oil and gas blending come to an end, it will have little to no impact on the biofuels market and it is more likely that ethanol consumption will continue to fall, as it did in 2018.
Focus on Rural America is a nonprofit organization aimed at boosting progressive causes and organizations by developing and promoting economic messages that resonate in rural America.
