More than 40 House members in bipartisan defense of Renewable Fuel Standard

In Washington, D.C., Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer (IA-01) continued bipartisan efforts to defend the Renewable Fuel Standard, sending a letter to President Donald Trump demanding that his administration uphold the integrity of federal fuel standards and asking the president to deny any blanket requests for waivers from federal biofuel blending requirements.

Joining Finkenauer on the letter are Congressmen Dave Loebsack (IA-02), Roger Marshall (KS-01), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Rodney Davis (IL-13), and 39 other members.

“The effects of COVID-19, on top of the damage caused by abuse of the small refinery exemption waivers, have caused more than 150 biofuel plants to either completely or partially idle production,” the representatives wrote. “This means that over 50 percent of US ethanol production capacity has ceased operations, resulting in economic uncertainty for our rural economies and the loss of a critical market for corn farmers. At an already turbulent time for ethanol and biodiesel producers, we must take action to support—not undermine—the industry and our farmers.”

“We stand ready to work with you on ways to deliver on continued investment and support for biofuels,” the letter continues. “They offer an immediately available and proven path towards decarbonizing the transportation sector, driving economic growth, creating jobs, and improving air quality. We need to make sure that our rural economies are in the best possible position to recover from this crisis and any move to weaken the RFS would only put us further behind.”

The letter makes clear that proposed waivers undercut the RFS and run contrary to the Environmental Protection Agency’s established precedents.

“This administration’s unprecedented and unwarranted attacks on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) have hurt Iowa farmers and have directly resulted in jobs losses and plant closures in our communities,” Congresswoman Finkenauer said. “Waiving Renewable Fuel Standard requirements would hurt—not help—the economy, putting rural communities in greater danger as they fight the effects of President Trump’s trade war and the economic fallout of the Coronavirus pandemic. Granting these requests would be a betrayal of our farmers.”