WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and
several of his Senate colleagues today called on the Biden administration to
explain its delay in delivering financial assistance to Iowa’s biofuel industry
negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In June 2021, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA)
announced
$700 million in aid to biofuel producers as part of the USDA Pandemic
Assistance for Producers initiative. USDA’s press release indicated that this
assistance would be implemented within 60 days. Now, more than 120 days later,
biofuel producers are still waiting.
“We are
concerned about the delay in financial assistance for our nation’s biofuel
sector during the unprecedented economic circumstances brought on by the
COVID-19 pandemic. … It is simply unacceptable that it has been over 120 days
since your announcement and biofuel producers are still waiting. …It is past
time our hardworking biofuel producers receive the critical aid that you
promised,” the senators wrote.
Grassley has
been a steadfast advocate for the biofuels industry especially as farmers have
faced many obstacles stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, extreme drought and devastating
derecho. Most recently, he
introduced legislation to
ensure Iowa farmers and biofuels producers also have additional support through
the Commodity Credit Corporation in the midst of the pandemic.
Full text of
the letter can be found
HERE.