The Senate Agriculture Committee voted 10-11 against sending the bill to the full Senate. All 11 Democrats voted no. Ten Republicans voted yes, while Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama were absent.
The E15 language is less ambitious than the version of the bill the House passed in May, which narrowed exemptions for certain small refiners.
An internal GOP revolt ground the House to a halt Wednesday morning, with the chamber stuck on a procedural vote to begin debate. Why it matters: House GOP leadership doesn't have the votes to advance any of the major legislation they planned to move this week, leaving the chamber in limbo. - Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is trying to jam three contentious measures into one pre-recess week: A long-term extension of Section 702 of FISA, the farm bill, and the Senate-passed budget reconciliation package to fund ICE and Border Patrol. - But a small group of Republicans voted "no" on the procedural rule to begin debate on all three items, and other conservatives are withholding their votes, even after days of negotiations and last-minute…
HOUSTON — EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday the Trump administration is expanding sales of higher-ethanol gasoline this summer as it seeks to ease concerns over rising gas prices. Why it matters: Gas with a high ethanol content, known as E15 because its content is up to 15 percent ethanol, is generally restricted in summer because it evaporates easily in the heat and causes air pollution. - Drivers typically save 10 to 40 cents per gallon when filling up with E15, according to the Renewable Fuels Association. Driving the news: The waiver "ensures a robustly available supply of domestic fuel, providing Americans further relief at the pumps, and reducing our reliance on foreign oil," Zeldin said at the CERAWeek energy conference…
Thune, who is from South Dakota, confirmed that he is committed to getting the E15 legislation "across the finish line," and said he even spoke to the president about the topic on Tuesday morning.