Representative Kristi Noem’s assault on the Environmental Protection Agency comes at the expense of the ethanol industry and farmers in South Dakota, said Ben Nesselhuf, Chairman of the South Dakota Democratic Party.
“While Rep. Noem has obeyed Republican Party demands to attack the EPA, those same Republican ideologues have worked with fifteen powerful special interest groups to gut funding for the ethanol industry,” Nesselhuf said.
Amendments supported by Republican leadership for the continuing budget resolution include a measure to prohibit the use of funds to increase the amount of ethanol content in gasoline to 15% and pay for the construction of ethanol blender pumps or of ethanol storage facilities.
“It turns out that being a part of Washington’s Republican elite doesn’t protect South Dakota’s interests. Representative Noem’s misplaced priorities will hurt South Dakota’s farmers and one of South Dakota’s most innovative industries,” Nesselhuf concluded.
“South Dakota deserves a leader who will put the interests of South Dakota before the interests of Washington ideologues.”