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Trump pledges to sign E15 legislation in Iowa remarks

President Trump says he’s ready to sign legislation that would allow year-round sales of E15 fuel.

“I will sign it without delay,” the president said Tuesday afternoon during a speech from Clive, Iowa.

Trump pushed Congress to quickly pass a federal solution.

“I am trusting Speaker Mike Johnson, who’s great, and Leader John Thune, who’s great, to find a deal that works. We’ve got it,” Trump said. “For farmers, consumers and refiners – including small and mid-sized refiners – to get E15 approved. They are working on it and they are very close to getting it done.”

The debate over year-round E15 sales has stretched on for more than a decade, cycling through regulatory actions, court challenges, and repeated but unsuccessful attempts by Congress to settle the issue permanently.

South-central Iowa farmer Steve Kuiper serves as first vice president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association. He tells Brownfield he hopes the president’s comments will prompt action from Congress.

“When he gets in his mind that something needs to get done, he tends to push pretty hard on everybody to make it so,” Kuiper said.

Kuiper says E15 is a win-win for farmers and consumers.

“I don’t understand why people can’t see the benefit of it,” Kuiper said. “It’s good for their pocketbook. You see 10-to-30 cent cheaper fuel with the Unleaded 88 – or E15.”

After E15 was left out of a U.S. House funding bill earlier this month, House Republicans established an E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council to study the fuel blend and draft language. The group is expected to submit proposals by February 15^th, with lawmakers targeting an agreement by the end of the month.

Late Tuesday night, U.S. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins said, “As Congress continues to work through the details, the President has been clear – get a bill that allows nationwide E-15 to his desk, and he will sign it to unleash American homegrown row crops for biofuel use like never before.”

In response to the President’s remarks, RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper stated, “President Trump has always been a strong supporter of E15 because he knows just how important it is to farmers and to consumers looking for lower prices at the pump. He understands that the quickest and surest way to boost the farm economy is to open a vast new market opportunity for grain-based ethanol.”

Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association said, “I think year-round E15 would be President Trump’s singular achievement for farmers if he can push Congress to act. There are lots of other important issues like tax credits, renewable fuel standard blending levels, and trade, and I don’t want to minimize those. But they are ongoing issues. Year-round E15 represents the one shining light at the end of a very dark tunnel for farmers. Pushing that through would make President Trump the godfather of E15 and I believe farmers would be talking about his feat for years to come.”

On X, Growth Energy stated, “Thank you, @realDonaldTrump, for fighting for drivers, farmers, and rural communities. Year-round E15 means more American-made energy, lower prices at the pump, and stronger markets for American farmers.

Steve Kuiper Audio Interview: