GOLDFIELD, IOWA – On Tuesday, Representative Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) introduced three pieces of legislation during a stop at Corn LP in Goldfield, as part of his 36 County Tour. Feenstra first introduced the three bills in the 117th Congress.
“In Iowa, every other row of corn and soybeans produces low-cost, low-carbon ethanol and biodiesel. As a result, the vitality of our rural economy relies on a strong biofuels industry and a thriving agricultural sector. These three bills will support both,” said Rep. Feenstra.
The Comparison of Sustainable Transportation Act (COST) would, according to a press release issued by Feenstra's office, "direct the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Secretary of Energy to compare the financial and environmental costs between replacing the entire federal gasoline-powered fleet with either electric vehicles or E-85 capable flex-fuel cars and trucks."
The Second bill, the Biojet Fuel Research Act, the press release said, "would direct the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish a working group focused on identifying research and development needs to produce biojet fuel." According to the press release, the working group would include the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Bioenergy Technologies office at the Department of Energy (DOE), as well as agriculture research universities, and biorefinery stakeholders.
The third bill, the Biofuel Cell Research Act, would "direct the Secretary of the Department of Energy to establish a research, development, and demonstration program for a commercially viable fuel cell system that uses biofuels as the main fuel source," the press release read.
Feenstra took some shots at President Biden as well. “As the top-producing congressional district of ethanol and biodiesel, I am proud to introduce three bills that will pump the brakes on President Biden’s out-of-touch electric vehicle agenda, advance biofuels research, and make the impossible in energy production – possible,” Feenstra said.
The release issued by Feenstra's office went further, calling Biden's subsidization of the electric vehicle industry "reckless". Also, the release called back to Biden's recent State of the Union address, in which Biden took the position that while we should invest in electric vehicles, and other sustainable new technologies to combat climate change, but also said there would be a need for oil in the near future. "Even President Biden himself admitted during his State of the Union address that the United States would still be reliant on traditional fuels for decades," adding that under the Biden Administration, the DOE has projected that "four out of five new vehicles sold in the United States by 2050 will be powered by liquid fuel."
The exchange came as part of a reference by Biden during the speech to a discussion he'd had with leaders of oil and gas companies, who Biden said told him, "We are afraid you are going to shut down all the oil wells and all the oil refineries anyway, so why should we invest in them?" Which Biden said he replied to by saying "We're going to need oil for at least another decade." Which drew uproarious laughter from the Republicans in the chamber. Carrying on, Biden then noted that despite a clear need for continued use of oil through any transition into the foreseeable future, oil producers had cut production and instead invested in stock buybacks.
Due to the law of supply and demand, reduced supply would mean higher prices. And stock buybacks would mean consolidated profits for remaining shareholders.
Feenstra also wrote an OP-Ed in The Hill in June of last year, in which he opposed electric vehicles.
