The National Chicken Council, along with over 30 other associations, on Friday sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce calling for a hearing to be scheduled on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
“We believe the RFS is in critical need of immediate attention, and your Committee, as the committee of jurisdiction, is the best venue in which to examine this flawed statute’s numerous failures and to consider legislative solutions,” the letter said.
The letter pointed out that, due to widespread public concerns with the serious unintended consequences of the RFS mandate, there has been growing bipartisan interest among lawmakers in exploring how to fix this broken statute. “Nearly 120 Members have cosponsored legislation in the House of Representatives to either repeal the RFS outright or to reform it significantly, and last year 189 Members sent a letter to EPA requesting a waiver from the statutory volumes,” the letter pointed out.
“The growing interest in the RFS is also evidenced by the fact that, between the House and Senate, there have been seven hearings on the law since 2014, six of which were held in committees which do not have jurisdiction over the RFS. These hearings have aired significant concerns with the RFS, from problems with the manner in which the statute has been administered, to the unintended consequences for food costs, conservation, greenhouse gas emissions, consumer engines, fuel costs and competitive markets,” the letter said.
“An Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on the RFS in the near future would be timely and welcomed by this broad group of stakeholders” that have signed this letter, the letter concluded. “We look forward to working with you in this matter in the coming weeks.”
The letter is available here.
