WASHINGTON, D.C.—Thursday, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) voted for a bipartisan package to bolster Iowa’s biofuels industry, allow for year-round E-15 sales, strengthen agricultural and food system supply chains, and invest in groundbreaking precision agriculture technologies. The package includes five pieces of legislation that Feenstra helped introduce:
- The Year-Round Fuel Choice Act, which allows E-15 and higher blend fuels to be sold at fuel retailers all year long.
- The PRECISE Act, which helps connect farmers to existing USDA programs to access precision agriculture technologies.
- The Biofuel Infrastructure and Agricultural Product Market Expansion Act, which helps update tanks and pumps to accommodate higher blends of biofuels.
- The Strengthening the Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Act, which creates a dedicated task force designed to shore up the American food supply chain, increases government coordination, and provides recommendations to Congress to prevent future supply chain issues.
- The Butcher Block Act, which establishes a loan program at USDA for independent cattle producers and packers to increase competition in the meatpacking industry.
It passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 221 to 204.
“Iowans are facing the highest prices for gas in decades, crushing family budgets and depleting savings accounts. Congress cannot sit on the sidelines while our families and rural communities suffer from the consequences of the Biden Administration’s anti-American energy agenda,” said Rep. Feenstra. “I’m proud to support this bipartisan package that makes E-15 available year-round, supports our farmers, and creates good-paying energy jobs in Iowa. Speaking to our hardworking farmers and biofuels producers back in the 4th District, I know that Iowa ethanol and biodiesel will lower gas prices and make America energy independent again. This legislation gives our biofuels producers the support they need to unleash greater production and give Iowans a cheaper, cleaner option at the pump.”
Feenstra has been a consistent advocate and strong voice for Iowa farmers and the biofuels industry. He has worked with the entire Iowa Republican delegation on many efforts to underscore the benefits of biofuels for consumers, producers, and the environment, sending a letter to President Biden urging his administration to uphold its promise to support biofuels in a comprehensive American energy plan and another letter urging Biden to maintain the Renewable Fuel Standard.
In March, Feenstra helped introduce the Home Front Energy Independence Act, which makes E-15 available year-round, establishes an E-15 tax credit, extends the biodiesel tax credit, formally bans Russian oil imports, and provides for the infrastructure to expand the production and availability of American biofuels. He also introduced the Comparison of Sustainable Transportation (COST) Act to compare the financial and environmental costs of replacing the entire federal gasoline-powered fleet with either electric vehicles or E-85 flex-fuel cars and trucks, urging President Biden to pump the breaks on his electric vehicle agenda and instead embrace the endless potential of biofuels.
U. S. Representative Randy Feenstra (R-Hull)
(contributed press release)
