Trump’s USDA secretary pick led group opposed to | Commodities

By Leah Douglas

(Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s decide to run the Agriculture Division, Brooke Rollins (NYSE:), led an group that opposed ethanol mandates and farm subsidies, main packages she might affect if confirmed, based on a Reuters review of the group’s coverage statements. 

That background might put Rollins at odds with farm state lawmakers at her nomination listening to on Thursday and revive considerations within the highly effective corn and biofuel lobbies about Trump’s blended report on ethanol during his first time period in workplace.

“The hearing is a perfect occasion to renounce the misleading and demonstrably false statements made about ethanol by some of her colleagues more than a decade ago,” mentioned Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Affiliation, an ethanol trade group.

Rollins was president and CEO of the Texas Public Coverage Basis from 2003 to 2018, during which time the oil industry-backed nonprofit argued that authorities help for ethanol contributed to larger emissions and rising food and fuel costs. 

The oil industry has seen ethanol as a menace to its share within the gasoline market, and says a federal mandate requiring the biofuel to be blended in to the nation’s fuel provide prices it a fortune in compliance prices.

“As a way to save the planet, not many policies are worse than government-backed ethanol. It’s bad for the economy, bad for the environment, doesn’t reduce greenhouse gases, and has led to rapidly rising food prices,” mentioned one article printed by the Texas group in 2012.

In 2017, Rollins endorsed Kathleen Hartnett White, the longtime director of the group’s power program, to function Trump’s chair of the White Home’s Council on Environmental High quality. The White Home later withdrew her nomination after a contentious listening to that included criticism of her ethanol positions from farm state senators.

White had supported a 2008 effort by then-Texas governor Rick Perry to partially waive the ethanol mixing program, often called the Renewable Gasoline Customary, within the state. The Environmental Safety Company, which administers this system, denied Perry’s request.

Throughout Rollins’ tenure, the group additionally known as for the elimination of farm subsidies in a 2016 report titled “The Policymaker’s Guide to Corporate Welfare.” 

The report mentioned offering loan ensures to farmers to start out or broaden their operations “introduces distortions into the marketplace.”

The USDA points billions of {dollars} in direct and assured loans every year to help the home farm financial system. 

Rollins, who served as appearing director of the White Home Home Coverage Council during Trump’s first time period, is set to look earlier than the Senate Agriculture Committee for her nomination listening to on Thursday.

“Brooke Rollins will work to enact the President’s agenda, and you can look to President Trump’s past statements of support for biofuels to understand the Administration’s position on this issue,” mentioned Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for the Trump administration transition staff. 

Throughout his 2017-21 time period, Trump boosted corn-based ethanol by enabling year-round gross sales of larger ethanol blends of gasoline, but additionally angered the ethanol industry by increasing the use of waivers exempting small refiners from the federal mixing requirement.

trade group Development Power mentioned it helps Rollins’ nomination and believes the Trump administration will help the ethanol industry’s priorities.

Throughout the Biden administration, Rollins led the America First Coverage Institute, a coverage group carefully tied to Trump which has expressed skepticism about climate change.

Extra than 400 state and national agriculture teams wrote to Senate agriculture committee leaders John Boozman and Amy Klobuchar on Jan. 15 to endorse Rollins. 

“Her close working relationship with incoming President Trump will ensure that agriculture and rural America have a prominent and influential voice at the table when critical decisions are made in the White House,” the letter mentioned.