{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://finkenauer.house.gov/media/press-releases/finkenauer-meets-iowa-biofuels-producer-after-testimony-sre-impact", "Finkenauer Meets with Iowa Biofuels Producer after Testimony on SRE Impact", "2019-10-29", "2019", "2019-10", "Democrat", "House", "IA", "Abby Finkenauer", "F000467", "finkenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Today, Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer(IA-01)met with KellyNieuwenhuis,an Iowa family farmer andpresident of Iowa-basedand farmer-ownedSiouxland Energy Cooperative.Finkenauer andNieuwenhuisdiscussed how Iowans are being impacted by small refinery exemption(SRE)waivers, and other policyother policy proposals aimed at undercuttingthe Renewable Fuel Standard(RFS).\nEarlier Tuesday,Nieuwenhuistestified at the House Committee on Energy & Commerce's hearing titledProtecting the RFS: The Trump Administration's Abuse of Secret Waivers.\"\nPlain and simple, the EPA's (Environmental Protection Agency) abuse of small refinery exemptions under the RFS is crippling ruralAmerica...Nieuwenhuissaid,during his opening statement,Because of the EPA's actions to help the oil industry's bottom line, at the expense of farmers and biofuelsproducers, we had to make a hard decision to idle our plant and shut off a key market for hundreds of local farmers, including myself.\nNieuwenhuiswas invited to testify by Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-02).\nCongresswoman Finkenauer said,It was incredibly important that an Iowan impacted by this administration's attacks on the Renewable Fuel Standard was able to share his story. Mr.Nieuwenhuis'voice on this issue speaks for thousands of Iowans who are on the painful end of the president's broken promises. I am hopeful today's hearing moves us closer to holding the administration accountable for its attacks on the RFS, and that it pushes the administration to uphold its promises to Iowans.\nEarlier this summer,Finkenauer led a bipartisan callfor the Government Accountability Office to investigate the administration's secretive process for granting small refinery exemption waivers.\nCongresswoman Finkenauer and the representatives are asking for the GAO to investigate: The Environmental Protection Agency's approval process for small refinery exemption waivers The role of the Department of Energy in reviewing and scoring waiver applications What factors are being considering in the assessment and approval ofthese applications and whether changes have been made to the reviewprocess under the current Administration\nOur concerns stem from the economic consequences to our rural communities created by exempting nearly 4 billion gallons of fuel from the RFS, a standard intended to expand the nation's renewable fuels sector,Congresswoman Finkenauerand the representatives wrotein the letter,By 2016, the ethanol industry has grown to support over 339,000 U.S. jobs and driven $41 billion in economic activity by supporting corn and soy markets and reducing gasoline prices. Tuesday, Finkenauersubmittedthe letterto the Energy & Commerce Committee.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://finkenauer.house.gov/media/press-releases/finkenauer-meets-iowa-biofuels-producer-after-testimony-sre-impact"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.911596929654479, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}