ICYMI from NDxPlains: ND GOP Leaders Silent on Ethanol Standards
Cramer, Burgum, and Hoeven suddenly quiet when it comes to helping North Dakota farmers
Cramer asks for farmers’ votes but leaves them in the dust on tariffs and biofuels
(BISMARCK, ND) – While Heidi Heitkamp has been fighting for the biofuel industry on the Senate Agriculture Committee and pushing for policies that put North Dakota farmers first, the ND GOP’s highest-ranking officials have been conspicuously quiet on regulatory changes that will hurt corn growers and ethanol producers.
Between Representative Kevin Cramer, Senator John Hoeven, and Governor Doug Burgum, someone should have something to say about an industry that generates $300 million every year and supports over 10,000 jobs in this state, right? Wrong. Instead, all that North Dakota farmers can hear are crickets.
Will Kevin Cramer or John Hoeven finally speak up about the negative effects of Washington’s changes to biofuel policy? Will Doug Burgum join other Republican governors in calling for stronger Renewable Fuel Standards? Are North Dakota’s GOP leaders going to side with farmers on this commonsense policy to grow our agricultural economy? We’re not holding our breath.
NDxPlains: Still Silent on Waivers to ND Refineries which Impacts Ethanol
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At the beginning of April, I wrote about how two of North Dakota’s refineries received a waiver from the EPA. The waivers claimed it was too difficult and expensive for Andeavor, one of the largest oil refiners in the nation, to produce ethanol in North Dakota. Let that sink in, too difficult and expensive to produce ethanol from corn in farm-state North Dakota. Governor Doug Burgum failed to take a public stand with six other Republican Governors. He isn’t alone in his silence.
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Where is Senator John Hoeven? How about Congressman Kevin Cramer? I haven’t heard where they stand on this administrative change. Have I missed it? This weekend, Republican South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds expressed his concerns over the EPA changes. North Dakota’s Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp has spoken out on changes to biofuel standards. Hoeven and Cramer, still silent.
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Both released statements in support of Japan’s change to begin importing U.S. corn-based ethanol. That is a great development. No, they’ve been silent on ethanol when it is negative for farmers and when it appears to benefit oil production.
