Fischer: EPA's RVOs Are a Betrayal of Rural America
WASHINGTON, DC. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released the following statement after the EPA announced Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for 2020 retroactively, 2021, and 2022:
“The Biden administration claims to care about addressing climate change but is giving big oil a huge break at the expense of the farmers in the Heartland who produce cleaner fuel. That doesn’t add up. Retroactively lowering the 2020 RVOs and setting low 2021 RVOs is a betrayal of the hardworking men and women of rural America.
“To pile on, the administration is trying to conceal this bad news by taking credit for biofuels COVID-19 assistance I fought for that Congress passed and President Trump approved in 2020. The administration held this assistance back for three extra months and is releasing it now to distract Americans from its actions. Further, it appears the administration has intentionally delayed denying 65 small refinery exemptions until today, instead of letting the biofuel industry know sooner and providing certainty.
“The administration has broken its promises. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to fight for fairness and certainty for our ethanol producers.”
During the 2020 presidential campaign, then candidate Joe Biden said: “The Renewable Fuel Standard marks our bond with our farmers and our commitment to a thriving rural economy.”
Senator Fischer fought to include assistance for farmers and ethanol producers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the consolidated appropriations bill, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2020.
Senator Fischer’s actions to support biofuel producers:
- Joined letter urging the Biden administration to stop delaying critical biofuels assistance
- Introduced the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act to ensure blends higher than E10 can be sold year-round
- Introduced the RFS Integrity Act to create transparency and predictability in EPA’s small refinery exemption process and require any exempted gallons to be accounted for in annual RVOs
- Joined letter to USDA urging them to use the Commodity Credit Corporation/December 2020 COVID relief bill to provide assistance to the biofuels industry
- Led bipartisan letter to EPA urging them to reject requests to waive RFS requirements and support robust RVOs
- Joined letter to President Biden urging him to reject calls to undercut RFS by reducing blending requirements and uphold his campaign promises
- Joined letter requesting meeting with President Biden about the lack of prioritization of biofuels in the administration’s policies
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