Photo Credit: TumblingRun via Flickr (CC-By-NC-ND 2.0)
Working with President Trump and his administration, we have finally delivered E15 year-round.
Many politicians have promised to expand and strengthen the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the President has worked with Iowa and other leaders to deliver on his word.
The President’s move to allow the sale of E15 year-round is an important reversal of an outdated and obscure regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For Iowans, this means further support for renewable energy, cleaner air, and a needed economic boost for our agricultural economy.
Over the past few years as I’ve traveled to the 16 counties in the Third District each month, I’ve heard from Iowans who shared how year-round E15 will benefit our rural communities. I took those voices to Washington and invited the EPA Acting Administrator Wheeler and Agriculture Secretary Perdue to Iowa to hear directly from Iowans. And I joined my House colleagues in supporting a bipartisan effort to bring E15 year-round.
This summer, both Acting Administrator Wheeler and Secretary Perdue came to the Third District and listened to Iowa farmers, producers, processors, and consumers. Because of our strong advocacy, the President is delivering year-round E15.
This historic announcement will further reduce our dependence on foreign oil. As part of an all-the-above energy strategy, ethanol is a homegrown alternative to our dependency on other nations for fuel, improving our national and economic security.
Expanding the sale of E15 year-round also gives Iowa consumers access to cheaper fuel and spurs economic growth. Following passage of much-needed tax relief and the President’s actions to rollback stifling government regulations, our economy is growing and consumer confidence has risen. More can be done and this is a great step in the right direction for Iowa consumers and our agricultural producers.
In Congress, I’ve been fighting for year-round E15 and a strong RFS with my Iowa colleagues in the House and Senate from day one and I’m proud we finally have a partner in the White House working with us to deliver on this promise. The President told Iowa farmers he would strengthen the RFS and he is acting on it.
President Trump’s announcement shows he knows how important renewable fuels and the heartland are and I thank him for following through and keeping his promise to Iowa.
