Pruitt aims to assure GOP senators on biofuels mandate
Source: BY DEVIN HENRY AND TIMOTHY CAMA, The Hill • Posted: Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Pruitt met with lawmakers for nearly an hour in Sen. Chuck Grassley’s (R-Iowa) Senate office. The gathering comes as lawmakers of both parties raise concerns about proposed changes to Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a federal program which manages how much ethanol refiners are required to blend into gasoline and how much biodiesel they must blend into diesel fuel.
Earlier Tuesday, Grassley had suggested he could hold up several EPA nominees if Pruitt and the agency don’t provide more support for ethanol, a major industry in his state and elsewhere.
After the meeting, Grassley said he made a political case for the ethanol mandate, something President Trump supported during his presidential run last year.
“In the Midwest, this is a very important political issue,” Grassley said, noting a phone call he had with Trump on ethanol in August, which led to the meeting with Pruitt.
“He said, ‘you know, I campaigned on, promised ethanol, and I want you to tell the people of Iowa I’m still for ethanol,’” Grassley said. “So I reiterated this story to Mr. Pruitt and said, you can get in the weeds about what you ought to do or not do as a way of policy, but this is an issue of the president keeping his promise to the people.”
Pruitt did not take questions from reporters after the meeting, and the EPA did not respond to a request for comment.
The EPA is considering allowing exports of ethanol to count toward the total biofuel volume obligations for the year, reversing a previous policy, Reuters reported last month, citing sources familiar with the deliberations.
That would effectively reduce ethanol production mandates, and is concerning corn-state lawmakers.
Senators from ethanol-producing, Midwestern states have opposed that plan, as well an EPA proposal to cut the blending requirements for ethanol next year.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said she was still concerned after Tuesday’s meeting.
“Administrator Pruitt again claimed today that he will not do anything to undermine the program. However, we have heard this before. We now need to see it,” she said in a statement.
“I will continue to work with the EPA, but they must prove to the agricultural community who put their faith in this administration that they will fulfill their promise to maintain the letter and the spirit of the RFS,” she continued.
But other Republicans said the meeting was productive.
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) described the meeting with Pruitt as “very good.”