Bipartisan Group of Senators Voice Support for Ethanol
Midwest senators oppose RFS waiver.
Compiled by staff
Published: May 9, 2008
Several Midwest senators Thursday sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson voicing strong opposition to any request to partially or completely waive the Renewable Fuels Standard as requested by Texas and Connecticut. Led by Senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Tim Johnson, R-S.D., the group of 18 senators said in the letter the "waiving the RFS would not cause an immediate or near term reduction in food prices."
"If you take away ethanol, you're going to drive up the cost of energy and food even more," Grassley said. "Ethanol has been a convenient target. But the truth of the matter is that we've got events around the world having a much greater impact on the price of food and gas. We need to stop scape-goating ethanol and be intellectually honest about the real causes behind the increased food prices."
The letter cites Ed Lazear, the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, who has noted that the increased production of ethanol accounted for only 3% of the 43% global increase and only a quarter of one percent of the 4.5% increase in U.S. food prices.
"If we're serious about lowering the cost of groceries and gas for Americans, we need to produce more energy of all types, including traditional sources. If high energy costs are the problem, less energy is surely not the solution," Grassley said. "With the cost of oil exceeding $120 a barrel, it's time to start looking at the real culprit."
Also signing the letter were Senators John Thune, R-S.D., Ben Nelson, D-Neb., Norm Coleman, R-Minn., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Kit Bond, R-Mo., Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Richard Lugar, R-Ind., Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Ken Salazar, D-Colo., Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, Kent Conrad, D-N.D., Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., John Tester, D-Mont., and Evan Bayh, D-Ind.
Source: Feedstuffs
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Tagged: ethanol, Environmental Protection Agency, energy costs
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