[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 13, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3421-H3428]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONWIDE CONSUMER AND FUEL RETAILER CHOICE ACT OF 2025
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1224, I call
up the bill H.R. 1346, to amend the Clean Air Act with respect to the
ethanol waiver for Reid Vapor Pressure under that Act, and for other
purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Van Drew). Pursuant to House Resolution
1224, the bill is considered read.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1346
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. YEAR-ROUND E15 AND RFS REFORM.
(a) Ethanol Waiver.--
(1) Existing waivers.--Section 211(f)(4) of the Clean Air
Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(f)(4)) is amended--
(A) by striking ``(4) The Administrator, upon'' and
inserting the following:
``(4) Waivers.--
``(A) In general.--The Administrator, on'';
(B) in subparagraph (A) (as so designated)--
(i) in the first sentence--
(I) by striking ``of this subsection'' each place it
appears; and
(II) by striking ``if he determines'' and inserting ``if
the Administrator determines''; and
(ii) in the second sentence, by striking ``The
Administrator'' and inserting the following:
``(B) Final action.--The Administrator''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) Reid vapor pressure.--A fuel or fuel additive may be
introduced into commerce if--
``(i)(I) the Administrator determines that the fuel or fuel
additive is substantially similar to a fuel or fuel additive
utilized in the certification of any model year vehicle
pursuant to paragraph (1)(A); or
``(II) the fuel or fuel additive has been granted a waiver
under subparagraph (A) and meets all of the conditions of
that waiver other than any limitation of the waiver with
respect to the Reid Vapor Pressure of the fuel or fuel
additive; and
``(ii) the fuel or fuel additive meets all other applicable
Reid Vapor Pressure requirements under subsection (h).''.
(2) Reid vapor pressure limitation.--Section 211(h) of the
Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(h)) is amended--
(A) by striking ``vapor pressure'' each place it appears
and inserting ``Vapor Pressure'';
(B) in paragraph (4), in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by striking ``10 percent'' and inserting ``10 to 15
percent''; and
(C) in paragraph (5)(A)--
(i) by striking ``Upon notification, accompanied by'' and
inserting ``On receipt of a notification that is submitted
after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National
Security Act of 2026, and is accompanied by appropriate'';
(ii) by striking ``10 percent'' and inserting ``10 to 15
percent''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following: ``Upon the
enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of
2026, any State for which the notification from the Governor
of a State was submitted after January 1, 2022, and before
the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National
Security Act of 2026 and to which the Administrator applied
the Reid Vapor Pressure limitation established by paragraph
(1) shall instead have the Reid Vapor Pressure limitation
established by paragraph (4) apply to all fuel blends
containing gasoline and 10 to 15 percent denatured anhydrous
ethanol that are sold, offered for sale, dispensed, supplied,
offered for supply, transported, or introduced into commerce
in the area during the high ozone season.''.
(b) Definition of Small Refining Company.--Section
211(o)(1) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o)(1)) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraph (L) as subparagraph (M);
and
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (K) the following:
``(L) Small refining company.--The term `small refining
company' means a company, entity, or group of affiliated
entities, including through subsidiaries, parent companies,
joint ventures, holding companies, spin-offs, or other
associated corporate or legal structures, the daily average
aggregate production of obligated fuels of which for calendar
year 2025 did not exceed 75,000 barrels per day across all of
the facilities of the company, entity, or group of affiliated
entities that produced transportation fuel subject to the
requirements of paragraph (2).''.
(c) Termination of Petitions; Adjusted Small Refining
Company Obligation.--
(1) In general.--Section 211(o)(9) of the Clean Air Act (42
U.S.C. 7545(o)(9)) is amended--
(A) in subparagraph (B)--
(i) in clause (i), by striking ``A small'' and inserting
``Subject to clause (iv), a small''; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(iv) Termination of exemption and petitions.--
``(I) In general.--Beginning in calendar year 2028, the
Administrator may not apply or enforce any extension of an
exemption granted pursuant to a petition under this
subparagraph or otherwise continue to enforce the exemption
under subparagraph (A) with respect to any small refinery.
``(II) Limitation on petitions.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law--
``(aa) no small refinery may petition for an extension
under this subparagraph with respect to any calendar year
after calendar year 2027;
``(bb) the Administrator may not consider any petition for
an extension under this subparagraph, with respect to any
calendar year, that is submitted after July 1, 2028; and
``(cc) to the maximum extent practicable, the Administrator
shall, not later than October 1, 2028, act on all outstanding
petitions.'';
(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and (D) as
subparagraphs (D) and (E), respectively; and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
``(C) Adjusted compliance requirements for small refining
companies.--
``(i) In general.--Beginning in calendar year 2028, the
Administrator shall, subject to clause (ii), reduce the
compliance requirements of each small refining company under
paragraph (2) by 75 percent.
``(ii) No subsequent redesignation.--If the average
aggregate daily production of obligated fuels of a small
refining company exceeds the limit described in paragraph
(1)(L) in calendar year 2026 or any subsequent calendar year,
the small refining company shall no longer be eligible for
the adjusted compliance requirements under clause (i) during
that calendar year or any subsequent calendar year,
regardless of whether the average aggregate daily production
of obligated fuels of the small refining company drops below
that limit again.''.
(2) Savings provision.--Nothing in this Act or an amendment
made by this Act affects any remedy available to a small
refinery (as defined in paragraph (1) of section 211(o) of
the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o))) with respect to
petitions for extensions of exemptions under paragraph (9) of
that section and, for purposes of
[[Page H3422]]
the application of such extensions and the review of the
denial of such petitions, section 211(o)(9) of the Clean Air
Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o)(9)) shall be applied as in effect on
the day before the date of enactment of this Act.
(d) Generation of Credits by Small Refineries Under the
Renewable Fuel Program.--Section 211(o)(9) of the Clean Air
Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o)(9)) is further amended by adding at
the end the following:
``(F) Credits generated for 2016-2018 compliance years.--
``(i) Rule.--For any small refinery described in clause
(ii) or (iii), the credits described in the respective clause
shall be--
``(I) returned to the small refinery and, notwithstanding
paragraph (5)(C), deemed eligible for future compliance
years; or
``(II) applied as a credit in the EPA Moderated Transaction
System (EMTS) account of the small refinery.
``(ii) Compliance years 2016 and 2017.--Clause (i) applies
with respect to any small refinery that--
``(I) retired credits generated for compliance years 2016
or 2017; and
``(II) submitted a petition under subparagraph (B)(i) for
that compliance year that remained outstanding as of December
1, 2022.
``(iii) Compliance year 2018.--In addition to small
refineries described in clause (ii), clause (i) applies with
respect to any small refinery--
``(I) that submitted a petition under subparagraph (B)(i)
for compliance year 2018 by September 1, 2019;
``(II) that retired credits generated for compliance year
2018 as part of the compliance demonstration of the small
refinery for compliance year 2018 by March 31, 2019; and
``(III) for which--
``(aa) the petition remained outstanding as of December 1,
2022; or
``(bb) the Administrator denied the petition as of July 1,
2022, and has not returned the retired credits as of December
1, 2022.''.
(e) Prohibition on Reallocation of Obligated Volumes.--
Section 211(o)(9) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o)(9))
is further amended by adding at the end the following:
``(G) Prohibition on reallocation.--For the purpose of
making the determinations in paragraph (2)(B)(ii), for
calendar year 2028 and each calendar year thereafter, the
Administrator may not reallocate to other persons any
renewable fuel obligation applicable to a small refining
company the compliance requirements of which were reduced
pursuant to subparagraph (C).''.
(f) Fuel Infrastructure Rulemaking.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency shall, after a period of notice and public
comment, finalize a rule modifying the regulations of the
Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Air Act (42
U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) and the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42
U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) (commonly known as the ``Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976'') relating to the sale
and distribution of gasoline-ethanol blends that contain
greater than 10 volume percent ethanol and less than or equal
to 15 volume percent ethanol.
(2) Requirement.--In finalizing the rule required under
paragraph (1), the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency shall modify the E15 fuel dispenser
labeling requirements and the underground storage tank
regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency with
respect to compatibility with gasoline-ethanol blends.
(g) Exemption for At-risk Qualifying Small Refineries.--
Section 211(o)(9) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o)(9))
is further amended by adding at the end the following:
``(H) Exemption for at-risk qualifying small refineries.--
``(i) In general.--Beginning in calendar year 2028, not
later than December 31 of a calendar year, a qualifying small
refinery may petition the Administrator for an exemption from
compliance with the requirements of paragraph (2) for such
calendar year for the reason of the imminent risk of closure,
permanent idling, or conversion to a renewable fuel
production facility.
``(ii) Matters included in petitions.--In submitting a
petition for an exemption under clause (i), a qualifying
small refinery shall include in such petition the following:
``(I) Information demonstrating that--
``(aa) the qualifying small refinery is at imminent risk of
closure, permanent idling, or conversion to a renewable fuel
production facility;
``(bb) such risk is solely caused by the cost of compliance
with the requirements of paragraph (2); and
``(cc) the ownership of the qualifying small refinery has
not changed after the date of enactment of this paragraph.
``(II) An attestation, executed by a senior corporate
officer (or any equivalent position) with direct
responsibility for the applicable operations of the
qualifying small refinery, certifying that the information
included under subclause (I) is correct.
``(iii) Public disclosure.--Any petition submitted under
this subparagraph, including any information, attestation, or
other supporting documentation included in such a petition--
``(I) shall not be eligible for treatment as confidential
business information for purposes of section 114(c) or any
other provision of law; and
``(II) shall be made publicly available by the
Administrator not later than 30 days after the date of such
submission.
``(iv) Deadline for action on petitions.--The Administrator
shall act on any petition submitted by a qualifying small
refinery for an exemption under this subparagraph not later
than 90 days after the date of receipt of the petition.
``(v) Administrator determination.--The Administrator may
grant an exemption under this subparagraph only upon a
determination by the Administrator that the petition
submitted for the exemption adequately demonstrates the
matters specified in items (aa) through (cc) of clause
(ii)(I) and includes the attestation described in clause
(ii)(II).
``(vi) Scope and duration.--An exemption granted for a
qualifying small refinery under this subparagraph--
``(I) may exempt the qualifying small refinery from
compliance with the requirements of paragraph (2) in whole or
in part;
``(II) may only exempt the qualifying small refinery from
compliance with the requirements of paragraph (2) to the
extent necessary to prevent the closure, permanent idling, or
conversion described in clause (i); and
``(III) shall only apply with respect to the calendar year
for which the petition for the exemption is submitted.
``(vii) Exempted volumes.--
``(I) In general.--In acting on petitions submitted by
qualifying small refineries for exemptions under this
subparagraph, the Administrator may not exempt, in total,
renewable fuel obligations for qualifying small refineries
such that the total volume of renewable fuel so exempted
exceeds the relevant volume cap for the applicable calendar
year described in subclause (II).
``(II) Volume cap.--The volume cap described in this
subclause is--
``(aa) for calendar year 2028, the volume of all renewable
fuel, including advanced biofuel, cellulosic biofuel,
biomass-based diesel, and conventional biofuel, that the
Administrator determines has, in total, an energy content
equal to the energy content of 150 million gallons of
conventional biofuel; and
``(bb) for each calendar year after calendar year 2028, the
volume of renewable fuel determined under item (aa), as
adjusted by the Administrator in direct proportion to any
changes to the applicable volume of renewable fuel
established for the calendar year under paragraph (2)(B)(ii)
as compared to the applicable volume of renewable fuel
established for calendar year 2028.
``(viii) Qualifying small refinery defined.--In this
subparagraph, the term `qualifying small refinery' means a
small refinery--
``(I) that received an extension of an exemption under
paragraph (9); or
``(II)(aa) for which the average aggregate daily crude oil
throughput for a calendar year (as determined by dividing the
aggregate throughput for the calendar year by the number of
days in the calendar year) does not exceed 10,000 barrels;
and
``(bb) that began production on or after January 1, 2007,
and before January 1, 2026.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, an
amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of the
Rules Committee Print 119-28 is adopted and the bill, as amended, is
considered read.
The bill, as amended, shall be debated for 1 hour, equally divided
and controlled by the chair and the ranking minority member on the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, or their respective designees.
The gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) and the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) will each control 30 minutes.
The chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie).
General Leave
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 1346.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on H.R. 1346, the Nationwide Consumer
and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025. The bill before us today,
specifically the substitute text, was developed by some members of the
Rural Domestic Energy Council established by the House in January to
work with the stakeholders to identify potential reforms to the RFS
program.
The underlying bill will allow for year-round sale of 15 percent
ethanol and gasoline, which farmers say is needed to provide an
additional market for their crops without impacting air quality.
{time} 1600
Some Members have noted that the proposal would make it more
difficult for small refineries, which already face economic and
regulatory hardship, to continue to qualify for existing exemptions of
RFS obligations and risk their closure as a result.
Consideration of this bill today does not mean the work to modernize
the RFS program is finished and that other reforms shouldn't be
considered.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
[[Page H3423]]
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1346, the Nationwide Consumer
and Fuel Retailer Choice Act. I am a supporter of the Renewable Fuel
Standard, including allowing the voluntary year-round sale of gasoline
with 15 percent ethanol, known as E15, because it lowers prices for
American drivers, supports our farmers, and fosters investment in
cleaner transportation fuels.
That is why we are here today, to preserve and expand the
availability of a cheaper and cleaner fuel option for the driving
public. Blending more biofuels, like ethanol, into gasoline displaces
demand for petroleum, helping to bring down gas prices for consumers.
That is particularly important when Trump's reckless war of choice in
Iran is driving up prices at the pump for Americans. Just yesterday,
new inflation data showed that, overall, energy prices are up nearly 18
percent over the last year, and Americans cannot afford Trump's price
spikes.
Issues concerning the Renewable Fuel Standard have a long bipartisan
history. For example, at the end of 2024, Democrats and Republicans
from the Energy and Commerce Committee worked to secure meaningful
provisions in a bipartisan, bicameral, end-of-the-year government
funding package.
That agreement included similar year-round E15 language that would
have lowered costs and made a meaningful difference in the lives of
hardworking Americans. Allowing year-round E15 would have ensured that
Americans have access to homegrown biofuels that save drivers money at
the pump and help insulate people from dramatic global price
fluctuations.
Congress had a chance to address the year-round E15 issue then, but
Speaker Johnson backed out of that bipartisan, bicameral deal because
Elon Musk, of all people, voiced his opposition to it. This problem of
Republicans' own making has persisted with no resolution for more than
2 years now.
Earlier this year, Speaker Johnson set up an E15 Rural Domestic
Energy Council of only Republican Members to bring a new E15 deal to
the House floor. This council operated without transparency, abandoned
bipartisan cooperation, and ignored longstanding and clear Energy and
Commerce Committee jurisdiction on legislation amending the Clean Air
Act and the Renewable Fuel Standard.
Next, they tried to slip this deal into the farm bill but were
blocked by Republican opposition and a score from the Congressional
Budget Office.
The net effect of the deal brokered by the Republican-only E15 Rural
Domestic Energy Council would be a $2.3 billion increase in the deficit
over a 10-year window.
The Republican majority scratched the amendment because it costs
money, and here we are, debating a standalone version to allow them to
get around their budget requirements. Republicans like to give the
impression that they are fiscal hawks, but that is a joke. It is just
another example of how they can't get their act together and actually
govern.
Republicans are going to turn the other way on supposed fiscal
discipline to try to pass this bill, but they refuse to address so many
other priorities to help Americans.
Families across the country are dealing with an affordability crisis,
thanks to high prices for healthcare, energy bills, and groceries, but
House Republicans won't lift a finger to help us on any of these
issues.
These are the games the Republican majority plays daily. They are a
mess. They are incapable of governing, and the American people are
paying the price.
Mr. Speaker, to be clear, I am not opposed to this bill, but I have
serious concerns with the Republican majority's artificially rushed,
partisan, and secretive process. This is not a bill that I would have
proposed if I or any Democrats were given a seat at the negotiating
table.
However, it is a compromise, and despite my reservations, I am voting
``yes'' because year-round E15 can offer some relief at the pump as
prices soar across the board due to Trump's reckless war in Iran and
the disastrous Republican energy agenda.
Despite my serious concerns with the process by which this bill was
brought to the floor today, the bill is a step in the right direction,
as President Trump and congressional Republicans carelessly undermine
renewable fuels and push policies that hurt our farmers.
Today, drivers are saving, on average, about 30 cents per gallon to
fill up their tanks with E15. This fuel provides significant savings
for families during the summer driving season, so let's ensure it
continues to be available at gas stations across the country all year
with certainty, which is what this bill does.
Mr. Speaker, I support the bill but not the methods used to get here.
In any case, I do support the bill. I urge my colleagues to vote
``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks), a valued member of the Energy and Commerce
Committee.
Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair of the Energy and
Commerce Committee for allowing me time. I am proud to stand here--I
know, I really am standing--in strong support of H.R. 1346, the
Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act.
Every single year since 2011, the EPA has issued an emergency waiver
to allow E15 to be sold during the Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks), a valued member of the
Energy and Commerce Committee.
Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair of the Energy and
Commerce Committee for allowing me time. I am proud to stand here--I
know, I really am standing--in strong support of H.R. 1346, the
Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act.
Every single year since 2011, the EPA has issued an emergency waiver
to allow E15 to be sold during the summer months. That means Washington
already recognizes that this policy makes sense.
What we are doing today is removing an outdated prohibition and
finally providing certainty for farmers, producers, retailers, and
consumers year-round.
E15 is an American-made, domestic fuel that is homegrown, lowers gas
prices, strengthens our energy independence, and supports rural
communities across Iowa and our country.
Nationwide E15 adoption would save drivers nearly $27 billion
annually, but this debate is about much more than fuel. Agriculture is
hurting right now. Input costs remained high through the Biden
administration. Commodity prices are down. Farm bankruptcies are
rising.
I have looked farmers in the eye as they have told me that their
family farms, their legacies, are at risk, along with their community
bank and their community implement dealer. That is not because they are
failing, but because Washington keeps moving the goalpost.
Year-round E15 provides the certainty that farmers have been asking
for. It would increase corn demand by 2.4 billion bushels, strengthen
domestic energy production, support more than 128,000 American jobs,
inject billions of dollars into rural economies, and save Americans
money.
Let's clear up some misinformation being pushed about this bill. The
legislation doesn't mandate E15. It simply gives retailers the option
to sell it year-round. Again, it is removing an outdated prohibition.
The fear-mongering and falsehoods being spread about this bill are
coming at the expense of America's farmers, rural communities, and the
American people. Farmers do not need more uncertainty. They need
Congress to finally act and get out of the way. It is time to deliver
permanent year-round E15.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Tonko), the ranking member of the Environment Subcommittee of
the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I have concerns about how this bill is being considered
today.
The Environment Subcommittee has not held a single hearing on the
Renewable Fuel Standard in the 119th session of Congress. CBO has said
that this bill will have a significant impact on our budget. Yet, there
has not been any legislative record, independent analysis, or technical
assistance from EPA
[[Page H3424]]
that could help us better understand its consequences.
We know that this bill will affect USDA programs, the highway trust
fund, and vehicle fuel economy to some extent. We also know that it
will have consequences for the RFS RIN market. Reducing demand for RINs
by not reallocating small refiners' gallons will affect RIN prices, and
it seems likely that producers and retailers of advanced biofuels will
be the ones who suffer the most.
Mr. Speaker, this might just be assumptions on my part, but that is
all we have to go on because this bill failed to have any legislative
process to help us best understand these complex issues. I hope our
counterparts in the Senate will take the time to do a proper review of
this proposal.
I also hope that EPA does not interpret this bill as having any sort
of congressional intent that would lead to increasing the annual
volumes of conventional biofuels beyond its historic 15 billion gallons
per year.
Despite my serious concerns with this bill's process, I will
acknowledge that administrations have been granting year-round E15
waivers for years. If that is going to continue to be the case, it
simply makes sense to codify. I also acknowledge that the RFS' small
refinery exemptions have been a source of uncertainty and litigation,
and that process should be reformed.
While I have reluctantly supported this bill, it is such a huge
missed opportunity. For one, it does nothing to recognize a significant
and growing segment of the fuel pool, that being electricity. We should
be providing certainty for e-RIN pathways. There is no good reason to
keep electricity produced from qualified feedstocks out of the program.
Frankly, that is not even enough.
As long as we continue to have a volumetric approach to our national
fuel program, it will be filled with uncertainty, unnecessary
litigation, and worse outcomes for both consumers and, yes, for our
environment. We should embrace a performance-based clean fuel standard
that rewards fuels of all types for their pollution reduction.
While this bill is a missed opportunity, I can at least recognize
that E15 is about 30 cents per gallon cheaper, and we know that
Americans are feeling a lot of pain at the pump due to President Trump
and his disastrous, illegal war with Iran.
{time} 1610
Today, the average gas price is $4.51 per gallon. Compare that to
under $3 a gallon before the war started. The $200 billion that the
administration has previously said was necessary for this war could
have been better used to incentivize more than 26 million people to buy
an American-made electric vehicle.
Instead, Republicans have repealed the tax credit that was allowing
people to take back some control and end their dependence on volatile
oil markets.
While I support this bill today, I hope that Republicans will get
serious about what it is going to take to lower energy prices for
Americans and enact a sensible, long-term fuels policy for our country.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
North Dakota (Mrs. Fedorchak), another valued member of the Energy and
Commerce Committee.
Mrs. FEDORCHAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of North Dakota
farmers and rural communities to support this step forward on year-
round E15.
For those of us who talk to farmers on a daily basis, we know that
agriculture is hurting. Across the country, input costs are up.
Interest costs are up. Fuel costs are up.
Many of our producers are also dealing with uncertainty in domestic
and foreign markets, and this is exactly why year-round E15 matters.
This is the top priority for farmers in my State and across our
Nation. I hear about it in every conversation in every townhall and
every radio show: When will we get year-round E15? It is what they are
asking for. They want markets, not disaster payments. They want an
increase in the demand right here in America for their products, and
this is what E15 creates.
E15 is homegrown American energy. Most importantly, eliminating the
artificial prohibition on summer sales of E15 is an important step
toward creating the consistent demand that will allow this industry to
grow and stand on its own without RFS one day.
We have to get this done first. It will add $25.3 billion to U.S. GDP
and support more than 128,000 full-time jobs. In North Dakota, the
ethanol industry contributes $1.7 billion annually to my State's
economy.
Congress has a chance right now to find a lasting solution for year-
round E15 with today's consideration of the Nationwide Consumer and
Fuel Retailer Choice Act, legislation I was so proud to cosponsor.
President Trump and Secretary Rollins support this effort, and rural
America is counting on us to deliver. Let's get it done.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Landsman), a member of our committee.
Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Pallone for yielding. I am a
newer Member of Congress, so this one was crazy to me: this idea that
we didn't allow farmers to produce this biofuel all year-round; that we
didn't allow consumers to have this option; that there was a law that
said that only when we say so can E15 biofuels be produced.
The question with this bill is: Do we want to allow farmers to
produce more ethanol, to produce E15 all year-round whenever they want?
Do we want our consumers to be able to buy lower priced gas all year-
round?
Unfortunately, the answer isn't obviously yes for everyone. There are
some folks who don't agree that in the land of the free somehow our
farmers can only produce this ethanol and bring it to market sometimes,
that consumers can only get this lower-priced gas sometimes, and they
will vote against this bill.
Hopefully, a majority of us will get this thing done. It will pass
the Senate, and this country will finally have a policy where E15
biofuels can be sold all year-round. Our farmers can produce this all
year-round, and consumers can buy it all year-round. Those are families
and small businesses.
Permanentizing E15 sales obviously grows domestic demand for ethanol.
It is nearly 7 billion gallons every year. That will make a huge
difference for our farmers who are struggling with higher costs
associated with these tariffs. This will save drivers in the United
States more than $150 million just this summer--$150 million just this
summer. For every single driver and every driver in Ohio, that is a 30-
cent savings with every gallon. That is how much more affordable this
option is.
Any car that was made from 2001 on, which is 96 percent of cars, can
take E15. So that is the vast majority of Americans get 30 cents off
per gallon when we pass this.
Why did this take so long? It took so long because oil refineries and
Big Oil, these big companies and folks who have a lot of money, they
spent that money or some of that money convincing Members of Congress
not to bring this to the floor even though it is better for farmers and
better for consumers.
I am a farmers first guy. There are a lot of farmers first Members of
Congress here on the Republican side and on the Democratic side, and we
banded together. We got this thing on the floor, and, hopefully, it
will pass and provide meaningful support for our farmers who
desperately need it and meaningful relief at the pump for consumers and
for our families.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Nebraska (Mr. Smith).
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my
colleagues to move toward American energy independence and pass my
bill, the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act.
With global tensions, volatile fuel prices, and persistent
uncertainty in the energy sector, energy independence is no longer a
theoretical goal but a vital part of America's national security and
economic survival.
Fortunately, E15 is a winning solution. It is a reliable, clean, and
affordable homegrown fuel that strengthens every link in our domestic
energy supply chain.
[[Page H3425]]
Nationwide, year-round E15 would provide immediate relief to
consumers, lowering costs at the pump at different levels, but in my
district you can see up to 52 cents per gallon at a time when families
need it most.
It would increase demand for corn, as you have been hearing, by over
2 million bushels a year, delivering the certainty, opportunity, and
market development America's farmers have unequivocally called for.
E15 compatibility is here and can be delivered through existing
infrastructure, as the past 5 years of summertime waivers have already
demonstrated.
The question is no longer whether E15 makes sense. We know it does.
The question is whether Congress will allow consumers to have this
viable option.
To my colleagues in Congress, I urge you to stand with America's
consumers, America's farmers, and America's energy future by making
nationwide, year-round E15 a reality.
Together, we can finally deliver the certainty, affordability, and
energy independence the American people deserve.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Minnesota (Ms. Craig), the ranking member of the Agriculture Committee.
She used to be on our committee, but we lost her as she moved to the
top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Pallone for yielding.
As co-chair of the bipartisan Biofuels Caucus, this has been a
longtime coming. Getting year-round E15 across the finish line has been
a priority of mine since the day I came into Congress. In fact, I led
the charge for Democrats when we were in control of the House in 2022,
the only other time that year-round E15 has passed the House of
Representatives.
{time} 1620
Back then, the farm economy wasn't great, but now it is downright
terrible. Farm bankruptcies in the Midwest are up 70 percent year over
year. Our family farmers are hurting, and so are our working families
in this country.
Tariffs and trade wars have shut corn and soybean farmers out of
their largest markets, and the war in Iran is hitting every single
person I know in the pocketbook when it comes to gas prices.
We have the opportunity today to expand market opportunities for
farmers who badly need them while at the same time lowering costs at
the pump.
Make no mistake about it: It is going to lower costs to allow for
year-round E15 if the adoption rate goes up as retailers put in more
infrastructure at the pump so that people will have broader access to
year-round E15.
But the dynamics of the policies in this country are not changing
today. As we think about the administration, the tariffs, the war in
Iran, the Strait of Hormuz and the problems we have there, fertilizer
costs, diesel costs--we can stand here all day long and say this is a
good bipartisan bill, and I believe it is. In 2022, we passed a
bipartisan bill. But until this administration changes its actual
policies that impact family farmers, there is going to be pain
throughout farm country.
As we think about E15 and biofuels in our country, E15 is homegrown,
renewable, and available. All we are asking to put into law is that we
not arbitrarily limit this cheaper option for consumers to a few months
out of the year. In fact, what we are putting in place today, should
this pass, is a status quo because we are seeing waivers every single
year anyway.
Let's make it available to any American anytime they want to choose
it. Year-round E15 is a win for consumers, and it is a win for farmers
who desperately need these domestic markets because of so many bad
policies on the part of this current administration.
I urge my colleagues to support this package, to support our family
farmers and working people across this country.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, we support our farmers, but we also support
our consumers. I appreciate my friends on both sides of the aisle for
this position, but these two positions of being for farmers and being
for consumers are not mutually exclusive.
They are right that we should all have a choice of whether we buy E15
or not, but the problem is that we don't have a choice about the
Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires us to produce more ethanol than
we ever use.
As a matter of fact, these folks up in the gallery here are paying
about $750 a gallon to produce ethanol, about 2 to 4 gallons of water
for every gallon of ethanol. Thirty cents of every gallon you currently
buy of ethanol, after you pay the subsidy, is added to your gallon of
gas price. This is going to raise prices.
By the way, you already have the chance to do this. Twenty-two States
already have the option to sell E15 year-round. Less than 14 percent of
fueling stations in Iowa, where they grow a heck of a lot of corn, sell
E15 because the consumer doesn't want it. You get less miles per
gallon. First of all, you pay more, subsidize it, and then get less
miles per gallon when you put it in your tank.
This is craziness. As the price of fuel goes up because of Iran--not
because of President Trump, but because of Iran--we are actually going
to increase prices in this House if this bill is voted in favor of.
Delta purchased the Monroe facility in Pennsylvania for $150 million
plus $30 million from Pennsylvania, but they spent $2.3 billion on
renewable fuel compliance. That is 20 times the purchase price.
Where do you think the price goes, ladies and gentlemen? It goes in
your wallet. You are paying for all of this stuff.
I absolutely urge a ``no'' vote on this. Let's not raise everybody's
gas prices.
By the way, it doesn't help the environment, either. I have all of
those numbers, too, but I am out of time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Van Orden). Members are reminded not to
refer to persons in the gallery.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Kansas (Ms. Davids).
Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues
to support this bill allowing for the year-round sale of E15.
For years, I have worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle,
farmers, fuel producers, and through multiple administrations to push
for year-round E15 because this is one of the clearest bipartisan ways
we can help lower costs for families while supporting American
agriculture and energy production.
Back home in Kansas, families are making tough choices every single
day, whether it is filling up their gas tank, paying rent, buying
groceries, or covering the cost of childcare. You name it, they are
making tough choices. Right now, with gas prices averaging more than $4
a gallon in Kansas, people are feeling the pressure everywhere they go.
Just the other day, I was at a gas station in Kansas where the fuel
with E15 was 15 cents cheaper than regular unleaded. I don't know about
y'all, but my mom will drive across town for a 6-cent difference. That
makes a huge difference, 15 cents a gallon. It might not sound like
much to some folks out here in Washington, but for folks who are at
home, driving to work, taking kids to school, those savings can add up
really quickly.
We already know that E15 works. We have had summer E15 for years, and
it has consistently helped lower prices at the pump.
Families shouldn't lose access to cheaper fuel options just because
the calendar changes. We need year-round E15. It matters not just for
consumers of gasoline but also for Kansas agriculture.
I really want to give a shout-out to the folks at East Kansas Agri-
Energy in Garnett. They are an ethanol producer in my district. They
are helping turn Kansas-grown corn into fuel that powers our country.
Right now, the farm economy is the toughest it has been in years.
Producers are dealing with rising costs and shrinking margins, and
uncertainty is coming at them from every single direction. Frankly,
this administration's chaotic economic policies and reckless approach
to tariffs are making things worse and harder.
Kansas has lost 700 farms this year. Think about that. These are
folks who are working hard, doing everything right, and still wondering
whether they are going to be able to keep going another year.
[[Page H3426]]
Expanding year-round E15 creates a stronger and more reliable market
for what our farmers grow. At a time of global instability and conflict
around the world, that really matters because E15 is made with
homegrown ingredients produced by American farmers, not imported from
other countries overseas. That strengthens our energy independence and
our national security while helping lower costs for everyday Americans
here at home. This should not be controversial.
Instead of getting this done quickly, though, we have seen
unnecessary delays from Republican leadership, and this is all
happening while families continue to pay higher prices.
People back home don't care about political games. They care about
whether they can afford to fill up their tank and get to work. This is
common sense and bipartisan. We are talking about a solution that is
going to help drivers, farmers, rural communities, and consumers alike.
I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle--Representatives
Nikki Budzinski, Angie Craig, Dusty Johnson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks,
and Adrian Smith--for joining in this bipartisan effort.
Let's stop stalling. Let's lower costs now. Let's support our
farmers, strengthen American energy, and deliver real relief for the
people we represent.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).
Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong opposition to
H.R. 1346. This bill is disastrous for Wyoming refiners and independent
petroleum producers, leading to a direct loss of at least 750 jobs in
my home State.
Just to correct the record, it isn't the farmers who produce ethanol
or E15. It is the refiners, and this bill threatens to put them out of
business.
In fact, it is interesting that anyone who supports this bill has not
yet mentioned the fact that it is the refiners that will be forced,
mandated, to meet the E15 requirement.
The refineries that are at risk of closure because of this bill
across the country employ more than 5,800 workers. We could lose upward
of 266,000 indirect jobs that depend on small refineries.
{time} 1630
The EPA's own Regulatory Impact Analysis of the 2026-2027 biofuel
mandate says the RFS will cost American families about $20 billion a
year.
This bill would create a $3 billion or more annual cost increase for
small refineries because of the blending and compliance costs.
This bill will increase the cost of gasoline by an average of over 35
cents per gallon, with some States seeing an increase of well over $1
per gallon.
At a time when the American consumer and small businesses are already
struggling to make ends meet, we should not be adopting policies that
make it even harder.
This bill is not in line with the values we support as Republicans
such as free and fair markets. This bill is nothing short of a new tax
being imposed by Washington, D.C., and it is wrong.
If higher ethanol blends were truly competitive on their own merits,
they would not require Federal blending mandates, compliance credit
schemes, subsidies, and special regulatory carve-outs to survive in the
marketplace.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Illinois (Ms. Budzinski).
Ms. BUDZINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1346, the Nationwide Consumer
and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, as amended.
As a lead Democrat on this bill, I have been proud to work with
Congressman Adrian Smith on this issue. We both understand, like many
other Members, that year-round E15 is bigger than politics. This is
about American farmers. It is about American consumers, and it is about
American energy.
E15 is truly one of those rare issues where everyone wins. Here is
why: American farmers win because it creates strong and stable markets
for homegrown corn. American consumers win because E15 helps to lower
prices at the pump. Our economy wins because E15 supports jobs and
investment in rural America.
I represent one of the leading corn producing regions in the United
States. I have sat down with growers, producers, and small business
owners across central and southern Illinois who all understand the same
thing: Year-round E15 works.
Yet despite years of support, years of advocacy, and years of
evidence proving its benefits, we are still relying on temporary
waivers and short-term fixes to keep E15 available during the summer
months. Those waivers may get us through another season, but they do
not provide certainty that our farmers need and deserve. Farmers cannot
plan their future around temporary decisions. Producers cannot invest
with confidence when policy changes year to year. Consumers should not
lose access to a cheaper fuel option simply because Washington refuses
to finish the job.
We have been close before. In fact, it feels like every year we get
right to the goal line, and every year politics, delay, or dysfunction
gets in our way.
Today we are here to say: Enough. Enough excuses. Enough kicking the
can down the road. The time for bipartisan, permanent, nationwide, and
year-round E15 is now.
Family farmers are heading toward a crisis, facing rising costs,
shrinking margins, and growing unpredictability not because they are
failing, but because the system is failing them.
While our producers are struggling, American families are being
squeezed, and that is especially at the gas pump. Right now, the
average price of gas nationwide is around $4.50 per gallon. Families
need relief, and year-round E15 is the solution. That is why today I am
calling on my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike, to come
together and let's finally pass this bill.
Let's deliver certainty for our growers, lower costs for consumers,
and let's strengthen American energy independence.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Iowa (Mrs. Hinson).
Mrs. HINSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Nationwide
Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act to allow permanent, nationwide,
year-round access to E15.
Mr. Speaker, if you ate today, thank a farmer; if you got dressed
today, thank a farmer; and if you put gas in your car today, thank a
farmer.
This is a challenging time for our ag economy, and we should be using
every tool available to us to support our farmers and our rural
communities. This bill does just that, driving new demand for American
agriculture products and boosting our farm income by $13.8 billion.
Year-round E15 would lower costs across the board for working
families across the country, saving drivers up to 30 cents per gallon
and reducing those prices along the supply chain. That is a savings of
about $200 a year in fuel costs for the average family. Iowans, just
for a stat here, have saved $126 million in the last decade by choosing
E15 over E10. That is real savings.
Full E15 adoption would also help to support 128,000 full-time jobs.
After years of uncertainty, it is time for Congress to step up and
provide a permanent solution. This is something I have been pushing for
years. This is not a mandate. This is commonsense regulation fixes
focused right on the consumer.
This is not a mandate. It is a market. It is a win-win-win supporting
homegrown energy, reducing reliance on foreign oil and continuing to
support America's producers who do the best thing which is feeding and
fueling the world.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to
support this commonsense bill.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time remains on both
sides.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Fong). The gentleman from New Jersey has
7 minutes remaining. The gentleman from Kentucky has 18 minutes
remaining.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Nebraska (Mr. Flood).
Mr. FLOOD. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to offer my strong,
unwavering
[[Page H3427]]
support for the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act
introduced by my fellow Nebraskan, Adrian Smith, as well as Senator
Fischer over in the Senate from Nebraska.
I support ethanol. Why?
Because it is cheaper, it is cleaner, it is homegrown, and it is a
fuel that has been an economic game changer for Nebraska.
I grew up in the 1980s. I watched the farm bankruptcies. I saw what
was happening in middle America, and then I saw what happened with the
renaissance ushered into middle America by ethanol. I recognize that
not everyone, including some of my colleagues in this Chamber, do not
have the same feelings about ethanol. While I may disagree with that
perspective, the beautiful thing about this bill is that it offers
consumers a choice. You can choose E15, Mr. Speaker, you can choose
E10, and you can choose E-zero. It is up to each and every person when
they fill up at the pump.
This bill allows people to choose or not choose E15 based on their
values. They may want cheaper gas, they may not. They may want higher
octane, they may not. They may want to support America's farmers, or
they may not. It gives everyone the choice.
That is why we need a vote on the clean E15 vote today.
This bill fixes an outdated regulatory barrier that prevents 15
percent ethanol blends. We have come a long way in fuel science,
emissions data and vehicle technology in the last 40 years. The
decades-old rules no longer fit current conditions.
This wasn't a proposal put together overnight. Lawmakers worked with
the liquid fuels industry and farmers to come together to find a
solution. Everyone wants regulatory certainty.
Nebraska has enjoyed year-round E15 due to emergency waivers. While
we are thankful it has been granted for our State, we can't rely on the
Federal Government every year to issue ad hoc relief.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this bill, and I urge its adoption.
{time} 1640
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Evans), my good friend and a member of the Committee on
Energy and Commerce.
Mr. EVANS of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in opposition to
the bill before us. Let me be clear: If this was just year-round E15, I
would be a ``yes,'' but it is not just year-round E15. It makes
significant changes to definitions under the Renewable Fuel Standard
that impact 80 percent of small refineries.
My district is home to the last two oil refineries in Colorado. Both
of them are small refineries. Under this bill, their definition would
change. They would no longer be small refineries, which means they
would no longer be able to obtain relief from the RFS compliance costs.
My two refineries alone would face an impact of over $100 million a
year.
To be clear, this is a disproportionate impact on small refineries
and is something that the GAO has found in a 2022 study. After years of
attacks and overregulation from ruling Democrats in Denver, we can't
afford to lose essential energy infrastructure, like the two refineries
in my district.
Beyond just energy security, this is a matter of affordability for
Coloradans. In fact, the last time my two refineries had to temporarily
shut down, gas prices spiked by $1.40 a gallon for my constituents in
Colorado.
If my refineries have to eat a $100-plus million annual increase in
their compliance costs and/or they potentially shut down, that $1.40 a
gallon becomes permanent for my constituents in Colorado. That is
something that they cannot afford in perpetuity.
While I would support a clean year-round E15 authorization, that is
not what this does. It has other definitions in it. I urge my
colleagues to join me in ``no.''
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Finstad).
Mr. FINSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Guthrie for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1346, delivering
on year-round, nationwide sales of E15.
As a fourth-generation corn and soybean farmer from southern
Minnesota raising that fifth generation and representing 21 counties in
southern Minnesota, a very strong egg-producing district, I have had
many conversations with my neighbor farmers. I know by hearing what
they are telling me and firsthand in my own experience as a farmer that
we are facing uncertainty in our input costs and uncertainty in the
global markets. We need a new domestic opportunity for our corn. E15
delivers on that.
Throughout the past several years, farm country has been forced to
rely on D.C. bureaucrats granting emergency waivers to sell E15 during
summer driving season.
E15 is a commonsense, win-win solution to strengthen demand for
farmers, support rural economies, and provide consumers with more
affordable fuel options.
Food and fuel security is also critical to our national security. I
will choose reliance on my neighbors in southern Minnesota over our
foreign adversaries to produce our domestic fuel supply every day of
the week.
Mr. Speaker, it is high time for Congress to act. It is high time
that Congress provides much-needed certainty to our fuel supply chain.
I urge a ``yes'' vote.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Roy).
Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his time.
I appreciate my colleagues on both sides of this debate and where
they are coming from. I understand my friends who come from States that
want support for farming. We all want to make sure that we are figuring
that out. We worked through the farm bill. I just think we ought to be
going about this a different way.
If we need to do something to support farmers, let's have a direct
conversation about it. Expanding E15 is just the wrong direction to go.
It is going to harm refiners. It is going to drive up the cost of gas.
I think it is going to drive up the price of energy, generally. It is,
in fact, a mandate. It is an expansion of the mandate. That is what the
practical effects of it will be.
Truthfully, I have no problem if you want to pull back on the Clean
Air Act in terms of what it does with respect to the E15 requirement in
the summer, but then let's modify the Renewable Fuel Standard.
We have created this botched system. We are making it massively
difficult for refining capacity to grow in the United States. We are
not actually solving the problem here. What we are doing instead is
trying to put a Band-Aid on it, which expands the mandate. It doesn't
fix the Renewable Fuel Standard, which is the core of the problem. It
is trying to backdoor into farm subsidies while doing it on the back of
our energy and gas policy.
Mr. Speaker, this bill should go to committee. This bill should be
amended and debated. We shouldn't be putting it on the floor right now.
It is not ready for prime time. I am going to oppose the legislation,
and I hope my colleagues will, too.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden).
Mr. VAN ORDEN. Mr. Speaker, the only committee I asked to be on when
I got elected to Congress was the Agriculture Committee. I came here to
fight for my farmers, and that is exactly what we are doing here today.
For the last 5 years in a row, the EPA issued an emergency waiver for
E15 year-round. I would argue that if you do the exact same thing 5
years in a row, it is no longer an emergency.
For the people who claim to be all-of-the-above for energy, well,
guess what. E15 is a source of energy. It is domestically produced. For
the people who bemoan the accountability, it is rightfully so. This is
a way to save up to 30 cents a gallon of gasoline.
Mr. Speaker, this is critically important for farmers. It is
critically important for consumers. I stand in very strong support of
this legislation.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Messmer), my good friend.
[[Page H3428]]
Mr. MESSMER. Mr. Speaker, we all know that farmers are facing high
input costs and that commodity prices are too low. Today, I stand here
in support of a policy that will bring about a sustainable solution.
The Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act is not an
agriculture assistance package. It is not a mandate. Retailers have a
choice. It is not an emergency payment.
This bill delivers cost savings at the pump for U.S. consumers with a
promise of stability for small refiners and guaranteed profitability
for the next generation of American farmers.
Don't just take it from me. Consider the appeal from hundreds of
companies, manufacturers, and producer cooperatives that are pleading
for this program.
The hardworking American farmer deserves certainty, and this bill
delivers just that.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in investing in
America's farm families, in agricultural businesses, and in our beloved
rural communities by supporting this important legislation.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Iowa (Mr. Nunn).
Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, today, we have the opportunity to save
every American at the pump up to 50 cents per gallon. We know because
we have proved it right in my home State of Iowa. The value of
yearlong, nationwide E15 is real money in the pockets of families,
communities, and our supply chain nationwide.
Today, we get to choose if we save every American family those
dollars and put it back in their pockets to reinvest in their families
when they fill up, or if we are going to continue to allow energy
prices to strain families' budgets.
Today, we get to choose between a fuel that is grown literally right
here in the United States for energy independence, or if we continue to
be reliant on foreign powers and adversaries, subsidizing their ability
to get fuel to the rest of the world while America does the heavy
lifting.
Today, we get the chance to deliver for producers, family farmers
like the 87,000 small family farmers that are building that next
generation of not only feeding our country but also fueling it.
Our farmers work hard for our families. Today, we get to work hard
for both families and farmers by putting this bill on the floor, the
first time E15 has ever been voted on.
We defeated backroom deals in D.C. to secure this vote that will
bring down costs for American families. Now, we have the chance today
to finish that job.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my friends on both sides of the aisle--this is an
opportunity for affordability for families, certainty for producers,
and American energy that grows right here in America. I ask for their
support.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate my support for the Renewable Fuel
Standard, including allowing the voluntary year-round sale of gasoline
with 15 percent ethanol, known as E15, because it lowers prices for
American drivers, supports farmers, and fosters investment in cleaner
transportation fuel.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on a bipartisan basis to support
this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1650
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R.
1346, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Messmer). All time for debate has
expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the previous question is ordered
on the bill, as amended.
The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on passage of the bill.
The question was taken; and the Speaker announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Motion to Recommit
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to
recommit.
The Clerk read as follows:
Mr. Perry of Pennsylvania moves to recommit the bill (H.R.
1346) to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX, the
previous question is ordered on the motion to recommit.
The question is on the motion to recommit.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question are postponed.
____________________