Providing That Section 11 of House Resolution 1224 Shall Have No Force or Effect

Floor Speech

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Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Fischbach for her leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule and the underlying bill allowing for year-round sale of E15 fuel and bringing much-needed certainty to our Nation's fuel markets.

I remind people often that the number one industry in the State of Illinois is agriculture. It is not anything in Chicago or elsewhere. It is agriculture. We lead the Nation in soybean production. We are second in corn production.

My own district is the 10th largest ag district in the country. I am proud to have nine ethanol plants that touch my district. The bill here today will help our farmers, help rural America, and help agriculture.

Right now, outdated Federal rules create unnecessary barriers to selling E15 during the summer months. This leads to confusion, market disruptions, and, ultimately, higher costs for consumers.

Refiners are forced to make decisions months in advance, often without clarity on whether E15 will even be allowed when the fuel reaches the pump. That uncertainty ripples across the entire supply chain.

H.R. 1346, which we are debating and voting on today, fixes this problem with a simple, commonsense solution, allowing for year-round sales of E15 while making reasonable reforms to the small refinery exemption process.

Mr. Speaker, let's be clear. This bill does not mandate anything. It does not force retailers to sell E15, and it does not force consumers to buy it. What it does is expand choice. It allows retailers to offer E15 year-round if it makes sense for their businesses and their customers.

That is why this legislation has earned support from a broad coalition--farmers, biofuel producers, refiners, and fuel retailers alike. Groups that don't always get along have come together because they recognize the value of certainty, transparency, and fairness in our fuel policies.

For consumers, this means more options and lower prices at the pump. For farmers in districts like mine, it means stronger demand for our homegrown crops and greater economic stability in our rural communities.

For our energy sector, it means a more predictable regulatory environment that supports investment and long-term planning. At a time when American families are sensitive to energy prices and our farmers are navigating tight margins, we should be doing everything we can to promote stability, expand opportunity, and support more domestic production.

Year-round E15 is a win-win-win. It is a win for consumers. It is a win for our farmers. It is a win for American energy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill, H.R. 1346.

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