Today, June 16th, 2022, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) released the following statement after voting YES on H.R. 7606, the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act:
“Iowa farmers, consumers, and businesses have been hurting for too long, and the Administration has done little to support them. They are seeing record-high inflation, astronomical gas prices, and rising input costs that threaten to shut down multi-generational family farms across Iowa. The majority of Iowa’s energy comes from renewables, including biofuels, wind, and solar power. I have consistently argued in favor of making E15 available year-round to support American energy independence, and I was proud to support legislation to do just that. We need to continue to work in a bipartisan manner to support our producers, fix our broken supply chains, lower fuel costs, and save consumers money.”
Background:
H.R. 7606 is a package of bills designed to support Iowa farmers, consumers, and businesses, including several introduced or supported by Miller-Meeks:
- Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act, introduced by Miller-Meeks and Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07). This bipartisan and bicameral bill would tackle anticompetitive practices in the meat and poultry industries that threaten the American food supply and U.S. national security.
- PRECISE Act, introduced by Miller-Meeks and Reps. Ashley Hinson (IA-01), Randy Feenstra (IA-04), and Michelle Fischbach (MN-07). This legislation would make it easier for Iowans to access precision agriculture practices and technology by making these tools and devices eligible for existing USDA federal programs under the Farm Bill.
- Strengthening Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Act, introduced by Reps. Angie Craig (MN-02) and Dusty Johnson (SD-00) and cosponsored by Miller-Meeks. This bipartisan bill would create a dedicated task force at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to evaluate the reliability of the American food supply chain and provide recommendations to Congress to prevent future supply chain issues.
- Year-Round Fuel Choice Act, introduced by Reps. Craig (MN-02) and Adrian Smith (NE-03) and cosponsored by Miller-Meeks. This bipartisan bill would ensure that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can grant waivers to allow E15 and higher blend fuels to be sold at retailers year-round.
- Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Investment and Market Expansion Act, introduced by Reps. Cindy Axne (IA-03) and Rodney Davis (IL-13) and cosponsored by Miller-Meeks. This bipartisan and bicameral bill would direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a grant program to support the deployment of renewable fuel infrastructure.
Original source can be found here
