Congressman Young Protects Iowa's Biofuel Economy in House Passed Bill

Iowa Congressman David Young's bipartisan amendment protecting Iowa's biofuel economy was unanimously adopted in the U.S. House of Representatives and passed today as part of the Make America Secure and Prosperous Act (H.R. 3354).

Congressman Young's amendment removed a provision in the bill that would have prohibited the Department of Agriculture (USDA) from using funds to "develop, facilitate, or expand production of, an alternative fuel" for the Department of Defense (DoD).

"Our renewable energy sector creates jobs, protects the environment, and even can be strategically beneficial to our military," said Congressman Young. "It's important the Department of Defense has the flexibility to work with other agencies to find other sources of energy, and I'm pleased my amendment continues allowing our military to look to the future while at the same time spurring innovation in our agriculture sectors to develop a way forward."

Renewable fuels have created high-paying American jobs, increased exports valuable to America's economy and protected families against volatility in the oil markets. Home grown fuels also reduce our reliance on foreign sources of energy that are at times a threat to our national security.

Congressman Young's amendment protects Iowa's biofuel economy by allowing Iowans to continue producing biofuels demonstrated to benefit our environment for DoD and will allow for new innovative research into biofuels.

H.R. 3354 contains the remaining eight commonsense spending bills for the upcoming fiscal year and reduces government spending in these bills by nearly $20 billion. This marks the first time in 10 years the U.S. House of Representatives has delivered 12 conservative government spending bills on time.

"As Iowa's only member of the Appropriations Committee, I was proud to have worked hard on this legislation and to ensure Iowa's voice and values are reflected in legislation funding the government, "added Congressman Young. "For the first time in too long, the House has acted to move a responsible spending measure to the Senate."

As Iowa's only member of the Appropriations Committee, Congressman Young worked to incorporate many provisions important to Iowans and all Americans including protecting people from identity theft, increasing funding for the Veterans Crisis Line, supporting victims of domestic violence to human trafficking, and ensuring rural states have access to public transit funding. This legislation also supports Iowa's rural economy, providing $2.6B for infrastructure development, housing needs and loans to help expand rural businesses and industries while investing in innovative agricultural research.

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