An invitation from a powerful Senator after some controversial comments. Sen. Chuck Grassley says that he would like to invite the President’s Climate Advisor to Iowa to show her how Midwest farmers value the environment.
White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy recently targeted the Midwest on climate change, during remarks to the Energy Storage Association saying, “We have to get the middle of the country understanding and active on climate. We need to show them what resilience looks like.”
In his weekly call to agriculture reporters, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley called the comment disparaging to Iowans.
According to the Senator, “Well, when she wants us to have resilience, and she uses that word, I think Iowans know a thing or two about resilience. So, I intend to invite Mrs. McCarthy to Iowa to see for herself.”
It would not be the first time Sen. Grassley has invited McCarthy to see Iowa Farms in action.
“Twelve years ago when she was leading the EPA, I invited Mrs. McCarthy to Iowa to see American agriculture from the point of view of a family farmer,” the Senator states. “When she visited she had the opportunity to have a closeup view in advances in the area of agriculture and biofuels. As we all know, in the twelve years since her visit, Iowa has done even more to lead the nation in both biofuels and wind production.”
Grassley is also concerned about the administration’s move towards electric vehicles saying it threatens demand for ethanol.
“We wouldn’t have the viable ethanol industry we have now,” he adds. “We probably would still have some ethanol industry because you aren’t going to be able to, as far as I know, drive a tractor on electricity. So, there is going to have to be some, but it surely wouldn’t be 43,000 jobs we have in Iowa right now. That’s just a fact of life...”
Grassley says that the EPA nominee Michael Regan has spoken highly of biofuels and expects to see it continue to play a role in the Biden administration’s clean energy plans.
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