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Michigan Corn grateful for bipartisan E15 Congressional leadership

The Michigan Corn Growers Association says it’s optimistic there will be bipartisan support for E15 legislation in the U.S. Senate.

Senior Policy Director Matt Smego tells Brownfield he’s encouraged by Majority Leader John Thune’s call during the Senate Ag Committee hearing this week to see E15 passed.

“With support of leadership on the Senate side, that’s a great boost in the arm, but every vote will matter,” he shares. “We need 60 votes in the Senate because of the cloture rule to get this bill moved through the Senate, so it is a much bigger hurdle.”

Eleven of Michigan’s 13 members of the U.S.  House voted to approve the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, with Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet a cosponsor.

Smego says Senators from his state are cosponsoring the companion bill, which should be helpful in garnering support from their Democratic counterparts.

“Having folks on both sides of the aisle understand the challenges that our farmers are facing right now, the corn economy, a lot of our row crop industries are challenged, as we all know,” he says. “So, finding solutions in how we can increase corn demand, it’s been amazing to see that we’ve had support from both sides of the aisle.”

The bill has been referred to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.