WASHINGTON – Last week, U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY),
Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) introduced The Renewable Fuel Standard
Repeal Act (S. 1195), which seeks to repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)
in its entirety.
“The Renewable Fuel Standard is fundamentally broken and
beyond repair,” said Barrasso. “Instead of delivering meaningful
environmental benefits, it’s driven up food and fuel costs for American
families. This flawed program will also inevitably lead to widespread
lawsuits against American manufacturers. When Congress enacts bad policy, the
right response is to scrap it and start over."
“The Renewable Fuel Standard isn’t working for consumers,
refiners, or livestock groups,” said Pryor. “These mandates are
unworkable and need to be overhauled. Repealing the RFS will allow us to
develop a new policy for advanced biofuels without driving up Arkansans’ gas
and food prices.”? ?
“The biofuel use requirements have a negative effect on our
economy,” said Toomey. “Not only does the mandate likely harm our car
engines, it drives up farmers’ and ranchers’ costs and causes increased prices
in almost everything we buy in the grocery store. Current rules require
refiners to blend increasing amounts of biofuels especially corn ethanol into
the nation's gasoline supply. The result is that corn prices have shot up and
this is troubling for Pennsylvania livestock farmers who devote about half
their operating costs to feed. I have heard firsthand from many constituents
just how damaging this policy has been. And it is particularly harmful to
lower-income families who spend a greater percentage of their paycheck on
groceries.”? ?
In 2005, Congress established the RFS effectively requiring
refiners to blend increasing volumes of biofuels (e.g., corn ethanol) into the
nation’s gasoline supplies. In 2007, Congress expanded the RFS effectively
requiring refiners to blend much larger volumes of biofuels and advanced
biofuels (e.g., cellulosic ethanol) into the nation’s gasoline and diesel fuel
supplies. ? ?
In addition Barrasso, Pryor and Toomey, S. 1195 is supported
by by Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Ted Cruz (R-TX),
Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Tim Scott (R-SC).