March 09, 2023

Duckworth Discusses Ethanol Production with Illinois Farm Bureau

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) this week met with Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) Director Adam Nielsen and IFB members to discuss ethanol production and other upcoming legislative priorities as Congress is set to reauthorize the Farm Bill this year. Photos from the meeting are available here. 

“America has always depended on our nation’s farmers and ranchers to grow the food and fuel we need, and I’m proud to advocate for them on both the national and international stage,” Duckworth said. “The work of Illinois’s farmers is so important to the strength of our state and our nation, and I look forward to continuing my work with the Illinois Farm Bureau and farmers across the state to make sure they have the resources and information they need.”

In the Senate, Duckworth has been a leader in supporting biofuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). To help increase the availability of E15 biofuels, Duckworth helped introduce the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2022 to allow the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent. Duckworth additionally helped introduced the Home Front Energy Independence Act to ban Russian oil and expand use and production of biofuel that’s grown in the American heartland, while providing American families with a less expensive option to fuel their vehicles. The Senator also created a pilot project in the last National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to promote the use of SAF at military installations and will continue to increase these efforts to expand the use on biofuels whenever possible.

Global exports of agricultural products from Illinois totaled over $10.6 Billion in 2022 alone and in support of this major industry, Senator Duckworth recently led a Congressional delegation to Japan to highlight how Illinois is uniquely positioned for greater investment and to encourage increased exports as a hub for corn, soybean, pork and ethanol. Senator Duckworth also helped introduce the Expanding Agricultural Exports Act of 2023, which would support the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program through. 

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