At a meeting today focused on recovery efforts in the aftermath of last week’s devastating derecho, Senator Joni Ernst saw political opportunity in the occasion to try to cover up her harmful record of advancing Big Oil’s agenda in Washington.
However, the truth is Senator Ernst is the reason Iowa’s farmers and biofuels industry are hurting. She voted to confirm fossil fuel lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to head the EPA, despite his “explicit promise” to undermine the Renewable Fuel Standard.
“Under pressure for putting Big Oil ahead of Iowa farmers, Senator Ernst shamelessly used a derecho meeting to desperately try to cover up her vote for fossil fuel lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to head the EPA. From the haphazard trade war to harmful RFS waivers and her corporate PAC donations from big oil companies, Senator Ernst has spent six years failing Iowans,” said Jeremy Busch, Iowa Democratic Party spokesperson.
In recent weeks, the Iowa Farmers Union has run digital and radio ads against Senator Ernst for prioritizing pandemic relief to fossil fuel companies, instead of putting Iowa’s biofuels industry first.
In fact, Senator Ernst’s partnership with the oil industry runs so deep, she reunited with the Big Oil-funded Heritage Foundation last Thursday – a group actively working to repeal the RFS that even hosted an event with Andrew Wheeler last month to heap praise on the EPA’s harmful actions.