Last week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a bevy of actions to roll back red tape and unleash American industry, effectively reversing the Biden-Harris war on affordable energy. These directives include initiating reconsideration of the unprecedented tailpipe emissions rule, a de facto mandate for consumer adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), and the so-called “Clean Power Plan 2.0,” which promised to place a stranglehold on efficient power plant production.
The Biden administration’s EV mandate was unworkable for Americans living in rural areas like those in the Third District and promised to make us more dependent on supply chains controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. Those hurt the most by these misguided, job-killing policies are typically the ones who can afford it least. In September 2024, a resolution I cosponsored to rescind this EV mandate passed the House. Unfortunately, it was never taken up by the then Democrat-controlled Senate.
The crushing power plant rules not only undermined grid reliability, they threatened our economic future. As nearly half of our electricity comes from coal, including the power supplying our EV charging stations, Nebraskans do not benefit from bureaucratic obstacles to affordable power. This is not the way to move our economy forward.
To meet our growing energy demands, Congress must keep pace with the executive branch to advance sound policy which capitalizes on the benefit of affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy sources, including biofuels. In addition to renewing investment-friendly tax policy from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, this begins with ending restrictions on nationwide, year-round sale of ethanol blends up to 15 percent (E15) at the gas pump.
E15 is clean, sustainable, and saves drivers 25 cents more per gallon compared to ethanol blends of 10 percent. Yet, nationwide sale of E15 is currently restricted during the summer months—when driver demand is highest. According to a report by UNL’s Department of Agricultural Economics, the ethanol industry has a $6 billion impact on Nebraska’s economy annually. In comparison, this is well over 50 times the economic impact of the College World Series. My bill with Senator Fischer to enact permanent access to E15 would open the door to investments adding an estimated $66.3 billion to U.S. GDP and 188,000 additional jobs.
Hydropower is another sustainable energy source which holds great benefit. The ability to harness the power of moving water has paid tremendous dividends for Nebraska’s economy and many other regions of the country. To promote the development of hydroelectricity and appropriate stewardship of our water resources, last week I reintroduced a bipartisan bill which would expand investment tax credits to support structural upgrades, generator rewinds, and fish passage enhancements through 2031.
Carefully considered policy enables us to take proper care of our natural resources and spur economic growth simultaneously, all while respecting the rights of American farmers, ranchers, and small businesses. Last week, in a major reversal of the Biden administration’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers announced a collaborative effort to solicit stakeholder input toward a new WOTUS rule. This process will provide much needed clarity and reduce permitting barriers while ensuring the EPA fulfills its mandate to protect navigable American waters.
This is a great step toward putting WOTUS abuse to bed. The EPA has threatened property rights and the livelihoods of rural Americans with bureaucratic overreach for far too long. In 2015, I led legislative efforts to block harmful WOTUS implementation. While my resolution was passed by Congress, unfortunately, it was vetoed by President Obama. The Biden administration’s failure to appropriately comply with the Supreme Court’s 2023 Sackett v. EPA ruling or seek public input has only perpetuated uncertainty. EPA regulations must never put undue burdens on hardworking rural Americans and should properly reflect congressional intent in the Clean Water Act.
I appreciate these bold and decisive actions by President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. Maintaining clean water, air, and soil can accompany energy abundance and American innovation by responding to the voice of the American people and reducing regulatory burdens. To complement such actions by the Trump administration, Congress must further support American ingenuity by passing my bill to unleash E15. I will continue to fight to advance policy which powers our future. Innovation is fueled by abundance.