WASHINGTON (RFD NEWS) — House lawmakers are gearing up for a vote on year-round E-15 sales, with some action potentially coming as soon as today.
The measure was removed from the broader Farm Bill, and now House committee members are nearing a vote to move forward with a full House consideration on E15 as a separate measure. A number of agricultural lawmakers are now pushing to see the legislation back before the full House and cleared.
Nebraska Congressman Adrian Smith rallied outside the Capitol this week, arguing the current system is unsustainable for farmers already facing low corn prices and rising input costs.
“Corn prices remain under pressure, and if Congress fails to create stronger domestic markets, we may once again be forced into expensive ad hoc disaster assistance,” Smith said. “Nationwide, year-round E15 is expected to increase corn demand by more than two million bushels annually. We could use that right now. Creating stronger markets for producers while reducing the likelihood of future taxpayer-funded bailouts. This is not wasteful spending; it is smart policy.”
In the Senate, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley warned that the upper chamber may need to attach the measure to another legislative package for it to receive a vote.
“I don’t think we’ll get time to debate it separately on the floor of the United States Senate, but if we did, I’d be glad to have it pass the Senate that way,” Grassley said. “Time is short this year, being an election year, and not a lot of spare time with all the important pieces of legislation coming up.”
Grassley also acknowledged concerns that oil companies may be lobbying against the measure.
“I don’t think they’ll try to defeat it, but if they could get people to delay it, it’s the same thing happening. And I didn’t hear that, but since another journalist heard it, I think you could put some legitimacy into those rumors,” Grassley added.
The National Farmers Union says passage of year-round E15 sales is critical as farmers deal with uncertainty in export markets.
“A policy like E15, which I think is extremely important now in a time when our trade relationships with other countries are uncertain at best, we need to find higher value uses of our commodities here at home. And the year-round use of E15 makes a big step in the right direction there,” National Farmers Union President Mike Stranz said.
Meanwhile, Rep. Smith argues expanded E15 access would also benefit consumers by lowering fuel prices.
“Critics might say ‘E15 raises prices for consumers,’ when in reality, E15 does the opposite. In fact, it has proven to lower prices at the pump by 30 cents per gallon on average. At a time when families are already stretched thin, lower fuel costs matter, and that is exactly what E15 delivers,” Smith said.
The Trump administration signed a waiver several weeks ago allowing summer sales of E-15. While there is no guarantee a House vote will happen today, the measure has officially been placed on the congressional calendar.
