Horse, Door, Barn: Joni Ernst Won't Support EPA Appointee In Election Year, But Was A-OK W. Wheeler

[hatrack]

A farm-state Republican senator plans to vote against a top EPA nominee over biofuel waivers, essentially blocking his confirmation. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) announced today that Doug Benevento, President Trump's nominee for deputy EPA administrator, does not have her support.

"Until EPA tells us exactly what they plan to do with the 'gap year' waivers, Mr. Benevento does not have my vote," Ernst said in a statement today. "Iowa's hardworking ethanol and biodiesel producers are sick of being yanked around by Andrew Wheeler and the EPA. Our producers need certainty; until we get that, no EPA nominee is getting my vote."

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Ernst has stalled EPA nominees from her seat on the EPW panel previously. She held up Bill Wehrum's nomination to lead EPA's air office over biofuel concerns as well. Wehrum was eventually confirmed at the agency but resigned last year.

Ernst is facing reelection this year, and her Democratic opponent, Theresa Greenfield, has argued Ernst is not doing enough on biofuels, a major industry in Iowa. Greenfield's campaign called Ernst's action on Benevento a "stunt."
"Iowans see this for what it is — a shameless election year stunt," Greenfield spokeswoman Izzi Levy said in a statement today. "Senator Ernst sided with her Big Oil donors and voted to confirm a fossil fuel lobbyist to run the EPA, who promptly pushed dozens of secret waivers that have left Iowa's farmers and biofuels producers reeling."

EDIT

https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1063458197/most_read

[empedocles]

1. 'Horse, Door, Barn' - nice intro