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Bipartisan cohort of U.S. lawmakers form Sustainable Aviation Caucus

A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators has formed the Sustainable Aviation Caucus to aid in the advancement of the industry.

Kansas Republican Jerry Moran will serve as the caucus chair…

“Again it’s one more market for agriculture commodities. We’ve got to make up this deficit we have by consuming more ag products and selling more ag products around the globe,” he says.

Nebraska Corn Board Executive Director Kelly Brunkhorst says the caucus could help spur more trade opportunities for U.S. corn growers.

“All of it continues to come back to the opportunity that as corn growers, we produce a low carbon intensity feedstock that can feed into any number of these opportunities from a bioeconomy and biofuel standpoint,” he says.

Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth is also a part of the caucus. In a statement to Brownfield, Duckworth said:

“Sustainable aviation fuel is key to helping bring our aviation industry into the future, while reducing our nation’s carbon emissions. I’m proud to co-found the Senate’s first-ever bipartisan Sustainable Aviation Caucus because I’m excited to build on the work I’ve been doing to find new and effective ways to grow and protect American SAF production so our farmers can take the lead in this industry. Increasing American-grown, American-made biofuels is a win-win solution that will help support our farmers and blenders, strengthen our economy and help make our aviation industry more sustainable in the years to come.”

The caucus also includes Republican John Boozman, of Arkansas and Democrat Amy Klobuchar, of Minnesota.

Earlier this year the group of lawmakers also sponsored the Farm to Fly Act, aimed at accelerating the domestic production and development of sustainable aviation fuel through existing USDA programs.