{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1222", "Sen. Toomey?s Legislation Would Bring Down Cost Of Food, Gas [press_release]", "2013-12-12", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "PA", "Patrick Toomey", "T000461", "toomey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) is working to bring down the cost of food and gasoline.  In his latest step to protect consumers and employers from wasteful mandates, Sen. Toomey is introducing bipartisan legislation that would eliminate the corn ethanol mandate from the renewable fuel standard (RFS) that refiners must meet when manufacturing gasoline. In the past, corn ethanol has comprised nearly 75 percent of the total RFS mandate.\nCorn ethanol poses a whole host of problems for the environment and consumers. Multiple studies, including ones conducted by Stanford University and the National Academy of Sciences, have found that increased ethanol use is detrimental to air quality.  AAA warns that it has the potential to damage car engines and even the EPA has labeled the fuel as \"corrosive\".\n\"Since 2005, fuel suppliers like those in Trainer and Philadelphia have been forced to blend millions of gallons of biofuels -- notably corn ethanol -- into the nation's gasoline supplies,\" said Senator Toomey. \"This flawed central planning harms the viability of good paying jobs, drives up gas prices, increases food costs, and harms the environment. This is the government using corporate welfare to shower money on a favored industry and send the bill to the general public. Labor leaders, business, and environmental groups have pushed back against this harmful regulatory regime.  It's time to repeal the requirement that directs more corn in our gas tank at the expense of the hardworking men and women of Pennsylvania.\"\nSen. Toomey's legislation is also sponsored by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).\n\"We applaud Sen. Toomey's leadership in addressing the impacts of this misguided mandate on consumers and the environment,\" said Scott Faber, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Environmental Working Group.\" \nThe legislation has been endorsed by the following groups: \nActionAid USA  American Bakers Association  American Frozen Food Institute  American Meat Institute  American Sportfishing Association  BoatUS  California Dairy Campaign  Clean Air Task Force  Competitive Enterprise Institute  Dairy Producers of New Mexico  Dairy Producers of Utah  Environmental Working Group  Freedom Action  Georgia Poultry Federation  Grocery Manufacturers Association  Idaho Dairymen's Association  Marine Retailers Assoc. of the Americas  Milk Producers Council  National Chicken Council  National Council of Chain Restaurants  National Marine Manufacturers Association  National Restaurant Association  National Taxpayers Union  National Turkey Federation  Nevada State Dairy Commission  North American Meat Association  Northwest Dairy Association  Oregon Diary Farmers Association  Oxfam America  Southeast Milk Inc.  Specialty Equipment Market Association  Taxpayers for Common Sense  Washington State Dairy Federation", 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": ["http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1222"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.00658368319273, "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"}