Whose Side Is Trump on? The Fight Continues…Corn Country and Oil Country Still Battling It out in Washington, DC

November 11, 2019

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by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... It’s a back and forth game of Trump’s promises to help farmers and agriculture and support ethanol and biofuels, EPA giving small refinery waivers to big oil companies, .... ... (T)he latest responses from Midwest Senators, the American Coalition for Ethanol, how both Republicans and Democrats are coming together to fight for biofuels.

Midwest Senators Say What?!

Let’s start with the responses from the heart of America. U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), John Thune (R-S.D.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), each submitted comments to the Federal Register regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s supplemental rule on the Renewable Fuel Standard. In individual letters to EPA Administrator Wheeler, the senators expressed concerns about the way the agency plans to calculate the reallocation of biofuel gallons lost due to exemptions for oil refineries.

“Just this week, the CEO of a major oil refinery bragged that small refinery exemptions were ‘a real cash flow that [they] get every year.’ This is at the expense of farmers and biofuel producers. The EPA’s proposed rule fails to ensure that 15 billion gallons of conventional ethanol are actually blended into our nation’s fuel supply. In my letter, I called on Administrator Wheeler to fulfill the president’s commitment and provide certainty for rural America,” said Senator Fischer, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Read her letter here.

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On November 4th, over 60 corn, soybean, and biofuel groups wrote a letter stating that the EPA’s supplemental rule would not accurately account for small refinery exemptions and would hurt farm economies and biofuel plants in rural America. To read their letter, click here.

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According to Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, on Monday, a broad coalition of 60 agricultural and biofuels groups sent a letter to the White House calling on President Trump to fix the flawed proposal from EPA, which “fails in its mission to reinvigorate farm economies and reopen biofuel plants across America’s heartland.” The full text of the letter and a list of signers is available here.

From South Dakota, ACE

In South Dakota, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings issued the following statement:

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Where are the Dems?

Democrats are fighting for biofuels too. The Democratic caucus sent a letter to House leadership urging biodiesel tax credit extension. Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer (IA-01) and Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-05) led a Democratic caucus letter to House leadership urging action on extension of the biodiesel tax credit. Specifically, the lawmakers are asking for extensions of the biodiesel, alternative fuel vehicle refueling property, and second-generation biofuel producer tax credits.

In the letter addressed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal, the representatives wrote, “…we respectfully urge you to find a path forward for the expired clean energy tax incentives that have lapsed in recent years. Extending the biodiesel, alternative fuel vehicle refueling property, and second-generation biofuel producer tax credits are especially important to the regions we represent. Their extension is not only a step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions…, but also would bring much-needed relief to those that counted on these incentives.”

So what to do?

According to Politico, ethanol producers are now looking to expand their sales in Mexico after Trump’s biofuel plan to help make up for the lack of ethanol support in the U.S.

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Bottom Line

Senator Amy Klobuchar wrote a column in the Des Moines Register a few days ago saying enough is enough and instead of dividing the country, she wants to bring the country together. “We have a president who wakes up every day thinking about how he can divide this country. We need to stop the mean tweets, divisive attacks and broken promises. We need to look up from our phones and listen to each other. And we need to start working together. Because I believe there’s so much more that unites us than divides us.”

So it’s a bit crazy right now and we don’t know when it will end, but the good news is if you want to do something about it, you can. And it’s not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue or whatever your political affiliation is…it’s a biofuels survival issue. Want to submit a comment to the Federal Register, yourself? Click here. READ MORE

CEO OF SE MINNESOTA ETHANOL PLANT CALLS EPA BIOFUELS PROPOSAL “A STAB IN THE BACK” (Brownfield Ag News)

Ernst says President Trump is upset by EPA’s biofuels rules (Radio Iowa)

Democrat Reps Urge Extension of Biofuels Tax Incentive (Energy.AgWired.com)

South Dakota officials urge EPA to follow President Donald Trump's ethanol plan (Argus Leader)

Grower shares concerns on biofuel plan; farmers tell EPA proposal could be detrimental: Farmers tell EPA proposal could be detrimental to corn prices (MY Journal Courier)

Guebert: Undo undue small refinery waivers (AgriNews)

Letter to the editor: Trump needs to take action with the EPA (Columbus Dispatch)

Dennis Lundell: EPA must fulfill Trump's promise to rural America (The Cap Times)

Grassley: Comment on EPA website now to help save thousands of biofuels jobs (Radio Iowa)

Midwest Republicans say EPA’s proposed rule on RFS hurts farmers (The Ripon Advance)

Readers' Views: Big Losses for Farms (Fairmont Sentinel)

EPA’s New Proposal to Rein in Refinery Waivers Falls Short (Morning Consult)