E15 bills in Congress
This sidebar is found within the article The E15 controversy and within the main article Navigating Washington.
Two bills addressing E15 have been introduced in Congress, with more potentially on the way.
Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and David Vitters, R-La., introduced S. 344, which prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing waivers for any gasoline blend of more than 10 percent ethanol and would repeal the previous waivers that allowed E15 on the market.
In the House, Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., introduced H.R. 875, which parallels a bill he introduced last year. That bill blocks anything above a 10 percent ethanol blend until the EPA has sought independent tests to determine the impact of E15 on engines of all kinds.
Both bills are supported by the MRAA and NMMA.
A group of House members headed by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., has also been seeking industry input on a more comprehensive bill addressing E15 and other biofuels.
The NMMA, MRAA and their partners are also circulating a draft bill to address the Renewable Fuel Standard.
“To get at all the problems that E15 and above causes, you really have to get at the heart of it, which is the Renewable Fuel Standard,” said NMMA Legislative Director Jim Currie. “We also think that by reaching a comprehensive look at the fuel standard it has a better chance of becoming legislation that actually passes the House and the Senate.”
