At long last, Bill Northey was confirmed today as a U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary. He was nominated by President Trump on Sept. 1, 2017. Growth Energy released the following statement in response and looks forward to working with Undersecretary Northey on ethanol and biofuel policy:
“We are thrilled Mr. Northey is approved; he will be a fantastic addition to the USDA. Having served as the Secretary of Agriculture for Iowa, Mr. Northey has first-hand knowledge and experience on how the integration of biofuels into both domestic and international fuel markets has positively impacted the farming economy in America.
“Thanks to outstanding work by Iowa Governor Reynolds and Senators Grassley, Fischer, Ernst, Stabenow, Thune, Klobuchar, and others, this confirmation ends a long and needless delay by critics of the RFS who sought to threaten the rural jobs that President Trump vowed to protect. Our hope is that this unanimous confirmation signals an end to misleading attacks on homegrown biofuels, and the start of a new conversation about serious policy efforts, like RVP relief, that would create jobs, reduce RIN costs, and protect consumer choice at the fuel pump.”