Senator Amy Klobuchar, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, responded on Mar. 25 to the Environmental Protection Agency's announcement of an emergency waiver permitting year-round sales of E15 gasoline.
The EPA's decision is significant for consumers and farmers facing increased costs linked to the war in Iran. The move aims to reduce fuel prices and provide relief at gas stations across the country.
“I called for the Administration to allow for year-round sales of E15 in order to bring down prices at the pump and support our farmers,” Klobuchar said. “As consumers and farmers are facing higher costs because of the war in Iran, this is an important step to provide some relief. Every cent saved at the pump can make a real difference. We now must take action in Congress to ensure energy security in the long term and pass my bipartisan legislation to permanently allow for the sale of nationwide, year-round E15.”
Klobuchar had urged administration officials prior to this announcement to make E15 available before summer driving season as a way to help address rising domestic fuel prices. In 2023, she joined Senator Deb Fischer in reintroducing bipartisan legislation—the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act—to enable nationwide year-round sale of ethanol blends above ten percent.
The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee oversees legislation related to agriculture, nutrition programs, forestry issues, food security, hunger initiatives and rural concerns both domestically and internationally according to its official website. The committee consists of 23 members—12 Republicans and 11 Democrats—and operates as a standing committee within the U.S. Senate according to its official website.
Historically, it has influenced key policies such as price supports during the 1930s and addressed agricultural trade issues during the 1990s according to its official website. The committee also advances research and education efforts related to farming while overseeing rural development policies according to its official website.
Looking ahead, Klobuchar said that legislative action remains necessary: “We now must take action in Congress...to permanently allow for the sale of nationwide, year-round E15.”
