Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.

The government shutdown is likely to last another week, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told the National Chicken Council today after a speech in which he announced that he and other senators have formed a Senate Chicken Caucus and discussed his views on the Renewable Fuel Standard.

“At the end of the day I am frustrated, embarrassed and apologize for the shutdown of the federal government,” Coons told the chicken industry executives gathered at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for their annual Washington meeting.

“Some are concerned about my doing anything but being in the Capitol today,” Coons said. “I think this community needs to hear my message of working together.”

Coons added that he had dinner Wednesday night with a Republican senator from a farm state and that they had talked “about how we get over this.”

“I do not expect the president to walk away from his signature legislative accomplishment,” Coons said, but added that he had learned as a county executive that “at the end of the day” there needs to be some face saving.

Coons also said he understands that President Barack Obama will not negotiate on the debt ceiling. But there could be negotiations on the broader budget issues, he said.

Coons announced that he and Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., had formed the Senate Chicken Caucus “to educate other senators about the history, contributions and concerns of U.S. chicken producers, which emanate from a wide range of issues pertaining to agriculture, food safety, free trade, labor, immigration reform and others.”

Other founding members of the Senate Chicken Caucus include Sens. John Boozman, R-Ark., Tom Carper, D-Del., Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., Mark Pryor, D-Ark., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss. Coons said he believes that the caucus will have a dozen members before long.

A Congressional Chicken Caucus was formed in the House in 2011 during the 112th session of Congress, the Chicken Council noted in a news release. It is co-chaired by Reps. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., and Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., and maintains more than 50 House members.

Coons said he has urged the Environmental Protection Agency to do a better job of managing the Renewable Fuel Standard, which the chicken industry blames for high feed costs. He said that even though feed prices are down, he believes the RFS poses long-term problems for the industry.

But Coons said he opposes congressional efforts to change the RFS because he fears such efforts could lead to a repeal that would eliminate the RFS for advanced biofuels.

“The RFS for advanced biofuels, non-corn, has real value for energy independence," Coons said. “My concern is that if we try to modify it it may go away altogether.”