Most Republican candidates at Iowa Ag Summit endorse RFS
March 07, 2015 |08:14 PM
DES MOINES — Taking formal positions on the most sensitive agricultural issue in Iowa politics, six Republican presidential hopefuls today endorsed the Renewable Fuel Standard, while three said they oppose it.
Under questioning from Bruce Rastetter, the Iowa businessman, philanthropist and Republican donor who sponsored the Iowa Ag Summit, former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker all said they supported the RFS, which mandates the use of certain amounts of corn-based ethanol and other renewable fuels in the nation’s gasoline supply.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and former New York Gov. George Pataki said they oppose it.
Two of those scheduled to attend — New York businessman Donald Trump and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore did not appear at the summit. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida canceled earlier this week, and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky never accepted the invitation.
Also under questioning from Rastetter, all the candidates opposed labeling of genetically modified organisms and establishing trade with Cuba until there are major changes in the Cuban government. They also took carefully nuanced positions on immigration. (See following story.)
Bush, who is considered the national frontrunner for the nomination, said the RFS “has worked, for sure.”
“Look at the increase in production,” he said. “It has been a benefit to us as we have reduced our dependency on foreign sources of oil.”
Christie seemed less comfortable discussing the issue, saying that he would he would support it “absolutely. The law requires it.”
Discussing the Obama administration’s slowness in issuing the volumetric requirements under the RFS, Christie said that any “competent” president would implement the program.
Huckabee sounded the most enthusiastic, declaring that he supports the RFS “because America needs to do everything it can to do three things to be free: it needs to be able to feed itself, fuel itself, fight for itself … the degree to which we outsource that is the degree to which we have outsourced our freedom, not just those things.”
Graham said, “I do support the Renewable Fuel Standard. I voted for it twice.”
He added, “Just think how the world would be if we were not dependent on fossil fuels from people who hate our guts.”
Santorum said, “I support it [the RFS], number one, because liquid fuels, historically have been a big problem in this country from a national security perspective.”
Walker said, “I do believe it's an access issue [that the RFS addresses]. So it’s something I’m willing to go forward on: continuing the Renewable Fuel Standard, and pressing the EPA to make sure there’s certainty.”
Perry, who as governor sued the EPA for relief from the RFS, said he had taken that action because it was good for his constituents, but was vague about his current views. He said he considered the RFS more of a state issue.
But it was fellow Texan Cruz who restated his unequivocal opposition to the RFS.
“I recognize that this is a gathering of a lot of folks where the answer you’d like me to give is ‘I’m for the RFS, darnit;’ that’d be the easy thing to do,” he said.
“But I’ll tell you, people are pretty fed up, I think, with politicians who run around and tell one group one thing, tell another group another thing, and then they go to Washington and they don’t do anything that they said they would do. And I think that’s a big part of the reason we have the problems we have in Washington, is there have been career politicians in both parties that aren’t listening to the American people and aren’t doing what they said they would do.”
Pataki said, “I don’t think the federal government should require anybody in America to buy anything — ethanol or Obamacare.”
But he also noted that as governor he had supported E85 and supports putting in blender pumps “across America.”
America’s Renewable Future, an Iowa-based bipartisan coalition formed to support renewable fuels during the 2016 presidential campaigns, noted in a news release that most of the “leading” candidates supported ethanol. but that Cruz and Perry “need an education on renewable fuel.
Under questioning from Bruce Rastetter, the Iowa businessman, philanthropist and Republican donor who sponsored the Iowa Ag Summit, former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker all said they supported the RFS, which mandates the use of certain amounts of corn-based ethanol and other renewable fuels in the nation’s gasoline supply.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and former New York Gov. George Pataki said they oppose it.
Two of those scheduled to attend — New York businessman Donald Trump and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore did not appear at the summit. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida canceled earlier this week, and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky never accepted the invitation.
Also under questioning from Rastetter, all the candidates opposed labeling of genetically modified organisms and establishing trade with Cuba until there are major changes in the Cuban government. They also took carefully nuanced positions on immigration. (See following story.)
Bush, who is considered the national frontrunner for the nomination, said the RFS “has worked, for sure.”
“Look at the increase in production,” he said. “It has been a benefit to us as we have reduced our dependency on foreign sources of oil.”
Christie seemed less comfortable discussing the issue, saying that he would he would support it “absolutely. The law requires it.”
Discussing the Obama administration’s slowness in issuing the volumetric requirements under the RFS, Christie said that any “competent” president would implement the program.
Huckabee sounded the most enthusiastic, declaring that he supports the RFS “because America needs to do everything it can to do three things to be free: it needs to be able to feed itself, fuel itself, fight for itself … the degree to which we outsource that is the degree to which we have outsourced our freedom, not just those things.”
Graham said, “I do support the Renewable Fuel Standard. I voted for it twice.”
He added, “Just think how the world would be if we were not dependent on fossil fuels from people who hate our guts.”
Santorum said, “I support it [the RFS], number one, because liquid fuels, historically have been a big problem in this country from a national security perspective.”
Walker said, “I do believe it's an access issue [that the RFS addresses]. So it’s something I’m willing to go forward on: continuing the Renewable Fuel Standard, and pressing the EPA to make sure there’s certainty.”
Perry, who as governor sued the EPA for relief from the RFS, said he had taken that action because it was good for his constituents, but was vague about his current views. He said he considered the RFS more of a state issue.
But it was fellow Texan Cruz who restated his unequivocal opposition to the RFS.
“I recognize that this is a gathering of a lot of folks where the answer you’d like me to give is ‘I’m for the RFS, darnit;’ that’d be the easy thing to do,” he said.
“But I’ll tell you, people are pretty fed up, I think, with politicians who run around and tell one group one thing, tell another group another thing, and then they go to Washington and they don’t do anything that they said they would do. And I think that’s a big part of the reason we have the problems we have in Washington, is there have been career politicians in both parties that aren’t listening to the American people and aren’t doing what they said they would do.”
Pataki said, “I don’t think the federal government should require anybody in America to buy anything — ethanol or Obamacare.”
But he also noted that as governor he had supported E85 and supports putting in blender pumps “across America.”
America’s Renewable Future, an Iowa-based bipartisan coalition formed to support renewable fuels during the 2016 presidential campaigns, noted in a news release that most of the “leading” candidates supported ethanol. but that Cruz and Perry “need an education on renewable fuel.
