Corn farmers from across the nation have been sending ears of corn to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) in November, as part of a final push to remind the Obama Administration that the 2014-16 renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard will have significant implications for the 2016 elections. Illinois farmers are among those that participated. Jeff Scates, former Illinois Corn Growers Association President, participated in the outreach effort. Scates, a Democrat who farms in southern Illinois, wants President Obama to know the importance of ethanol to rural communities and his own farming operation.

“I’m a third-generation farmer, and my farm is still in business today because of the Renewable Fuel Standard,” said Scates. “Ethanol has played a huge role in creating good jobs in our community, and giving farmers a way to make a living. It’s hard for me to understand why the Obama Administration would back away from this. Are they caving to pressure from Big Oil? I will be making my 2016 voting decisions based on where candidates stand on ethanol and agriculture. I hope President Obama will listen to voters like me.”

“We are asking the Obama Administration: don’t write off rural America,” said NCGA President Chip Bowling of Maryland. “The Renewable Fuel Standard is good for our economy, our energy independence, and the environment. We have asked the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House to follow the statute and restore the 2014-16 corn ethanol volume.”

The U.S. EPA is expected to release their final rule regarding the RVO numbers by November 30. ICGA has urged EPA and the Administration to return the RVO numbers to the original numbers written into law by Congress.