WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Chuck Grassley
(R-Iowa) joined Rep. Randy Feenstra (IA-04) as well as Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)
and Reps. Cindy Axne (IA-03), Ashley Hinson (IA-01) and Mariannette
Miller-Meeks (IA-02) in
urging
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan to prioritize
American energy independence. Specifically, the Iowa lawmakers – representing
the top ethanol-producing state in the nation – are
pressing the Biden administration to promote and incorporate Iowa-made ethanol and
other biofuels in an American energy strategy that significantly reduces
reliance on foreign oil and gas imports. This comes after fuel prices have hit
record highs and Russia continues its unprovoked attack on Ukraine.
“According to the U.S. Energy Information
Administration, Russia ranks as the world’s third-largest producer of petroleum
and other liquid fuels, producing an average of 10.5 million barrels per day in
2020. The United States and our allies across the globe are now looking to decrease
our reliance on Russian oil. As conflict continues in the region, we urge the
Biden administration to expand the production and potential export of domestic
ethanol and biodiesel to meet global energy needs,” the lawmakers wrote.
“As a domestically produced, renewable
fuel source, ethanol and other biofuels strengthen our national security and
achieve the Administration’s climate goals. Bolstering our domestic energy
production through policies that prioritize the increased use of America's
ethanol and other biofuels will ensure a reliable and stable source of energy
for years to come,” the lawmakers
continued.
In light of Russia’s unprovoked invasion
of Ukraine, Grassley has explicitly
called on the Biden administration to cease all imports of Russian oil. He has
also helped
introduce the
American Energy
Independence Act of 2022, which seeks to return American energy to full
production.
Read the fuller letter by clicking
HERE.
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