A group of 27 House Republicans urged GOP leadership to block legislation easing the way for year-round sales of gasoline with 15 percent ethanol after the oil and gas lobby pulled its support for bipartisan legislation.
Eliminating restrictions on E15 has been a long-held priority for both Republicans and Democrats from agricultural states, where biofuels pay dividends for farmers. But the issue has proved sticky amid resistance from oil state Republicans and Democratic climate hawks, who are skeptical of biofuels.
Last week’s letter from Republicans, addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, both Louisiana Republicans, comes biofuel boosters push to include the “Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act” — H.R. 1346 and S. 593 — from Nebraska Republicans Rep. Adrian Smith and Sen. Deb Fischer in a broader must-pass package.
“While we support policies that promote American energy production, we are deeply concerned that advancing stand-alone E15 legislation would further disadvantage the U.S. refining sector — an industry that is essential to American energy dominance, national security, and good-paying manufacturing jobs,” the lawmakers wrote.
