FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, September 14, 2020
CONTACT: press@iowademocrats.org
Iowa Democrats Agree Ethanol Stunt Can’t Cover Up Trump’s Broken Promises To Farmers
50 days from Election Day, Trump’s new ethanol announcement can’t make up for years of attacks on Iowa ethanol farmers
DES MOINES – Trump’s EPA announcement carries little weight compared to the profits of four billion gallons of biofuels the industry has lost because of his reckless agriculture agenda. After 4 years of erroneous handouts to Big Oil at the expense of Iowa ethanol producers, this politically timed decision is still incomplete and doesn’t begin to pay farmers back for the severed markets and soaring profit losses they’ve shouldered under the GOP’s watch.
Take a look at what Iowa Democrats are saying about Trump’s Election Day political stunt:
Biden for Iowa:
“The action by the EPA announced today is simply too little, too late. While it avoids further damage to the struggling ethanol and renewable fuel industry it fails to make up for the 4 billion gallons of lost ethanol production due to waivers previously granted or the lack of help directed to the ethanol industry in any coronavirus stimulus package. The decision fails to make up for the 1 billion bushels of corn that would have been otherwise sold for ethanol production but for previously granted waivers. So, farmers will still deal with low corn prices. Joe Biden recently reminded President Trump that the Renewable Fuel Standard is a bond between the government and farmers and those employed in the industry. President Trump forgot that until less than two months before an election, and unfortunately for the farmers and workers it remains too little, too late.” – Former Secretary of Agriculture and Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack
Theresa Greenfield:
“This delayed, election year announcement does nothing to erase the damage Senator Ersnt did by voting for a fossil fuel lobbyist to run the EPA, which issued 85 RFS waivers, devastating our farmers. Unlike Ernst, I’ll always put our farmers first, not Big Oil donors.” – Theresa Greenfield
Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer:
“Today’s announcement that the Administration will deny dozens of gap-year small refinery exemption waivers is welcome news to those of us who have been fighting for years against Big Oil’s attacks on the biofuels industry. That said, it’s tough to applaud a move that is simply following the law.
“This administration has already granted numerous waivers that drove down commodity prices for farmers and eliminated markets for biofuels producers. It’s beyond disappointing that the president has waited until 50 days before an election to finally take even this modest action — especially as Iowa has made a consistent, bipartisan case for years now that these waivers hurt hard-working Iowans and do lasting damage to our economy. Supporting homegrown energy shouldn’t be subject to the whims of politics and election-season calculations.” – Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer
Focus on Rural America:
“Today’s announcement by Administrator Wheeler should have been made months ago and still fails to address 44 outstanding waiver requests and the four billion gallons of biofuels the industry lost over Trump’s last three years in office. Denying the ‘gap-year’ waivers 50 days out from the election is an obvious political stunt to help the President’s re-election efforts.
“The damage is done and Trump made this mess. Rural America cannot handle the uncertainty that comes from the President’s trade wars on Twitter and his desire to boost Big Oil. We need a President who will implement the rule of law, and that includes a strong RFS, not handouts to oil and gas.” – Former Lt. Governor and Focus on Rural America co-founder Patty Judge