(Radio Iowa) – The U-S House has passed a bill to scrap an E-P-A rule and allow E-15 to be sold year-round in every state. Congressman Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, says expanded nationwide use of gasoline with a higher blend of ethanol will boost the corn market.”Gridlock in Washington, D.C. has prevented this passage of E15 for over a decade,” Feenstra said, “and today we are finally taking action.” Feenstra notes President Trump promised to sign the bill into law during a speech in Iowa in January.
“Farmers, our families and our rural communities deserve this victory,” Feenstra said. “At the beginning of this year I was appointed co-chair to the Rural Domestic Energy Council to find a solution and that’s what we have.” Congressman Zach Nunn, a Republican from Ankeny, says the move will help Americans struggling with gas prices because E-15 is cheaper. “We defeated backroom deals in D.C. to secure this vote that will bring down costs for American families,” Nunn said. “…This is an opportunity for affordability for consumers, certainty for producers and American energy that grows right here in America.”
E-15 has been authorized for use in vehicles manufactured after mid-2001, but an E-P-A regulation says E-15 should not be sold during the summer due to smog concerns. Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican from Ottumwa, says it’s time to remove that outdated rule since the E-P-A has been waiving the rule for part or all of the country since 2011. “The legislation doesn’t mandate E15. It simply gives retailers the option to sell it year-round,” Miller-Meeks said. “The fearmongering and falsehoods being spread about this bill are coming at the expense of America’s farmers, rural communities and the American people.”
Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion says after years of uncertainty, was time for congress to act. “This is a challenging time for our ag economy and we should be using every single tool available to use to support farmers and our rural communities and this bill does just that,” Hinson said, “driving new demand for American ag products and boosting ag income by $13.8 billion.”
The bill passed the House on a 218-to-203 vote and Democrats say Iowa’s congressional delegation isn’t leveling with voters about the bill’s chances in the Senate, where it faces stiff opposition. The bill also narrows the ability of smaller oil refineries to seek waivers from ethanol blending requirements in the Renewable Fuels Standard. Critics from states like Oklahoma and Wyoming say that will force some refineries to close, leading to job losses and higher fuel prices.
