[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19203]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S FINALIZED RENEWABLE FUEL STANDARD

  (Mr. YOUNG of Iowa asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the 
Environmental Protection Agency's finalized Renewable Fuel Standard, 
otherwise known as the RFS.
  The biofuels industry has created good-paying, technical jobs in 
rural economies, helped lower gas prices for consumers, protected the 
environment, and reduced reliance on foreign oil.
  On Monday of this week, the EPA finalized RFS levels for 2014, 2015, 
and 2016. While they are a slight improvement from the proposed rule, 
they still fall short of congressional intent put into law in 2007. 
Unfortunately, this decision raises questions about the 
administration's commitment to rural America and domestic biofuels. 
Despite public assurances to support the biofuels economy, the EPA has 
done just the opposite.
  The disconnect is startling. A reduction in RFS levels increases 
uncertainty and stifles investment in the advanced biofuels sector. We 
should all be concerned by the precedent this decision sets for other 
renewable energy sources. It allows the administration to ignore the 
facts and the law in order to set a standard of its choosing.
  The RFS is working. It is time the EPA started listening to the 
people impacted by their rules and regulations.
  I am committed to supporting the biofuels industry, its producers, 
its farmers, and its consumers, and to continue fighting against any 
attempts to undermine it.

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