Sustainable Bioenergy, Farms, and Forests - March 17, 2017 | Newsletter

What Is Cut In Trump’s USDA Budget? A Lot, It Turns Out

On March 16, the White House unveiled it’s ‘skinny budget,’ which clocks in at a slim 53 pages. The budget is short on details, but overall, proposes to cut non-defense discretionary spending by $15 billion in fiscal 2017 and $54 billion in 2018. Defense spending would see a boost of $25 billion in 2017 and $54 billion in 2018. The budget cuts every agency, except for defense and veterans affairs, anywhere from 5 to over 30 percent. At the USDA, the White House budget proposes to cut funding to the agency by 21 percent. While the proposal is scant on details – the proposal would result in a 50 percent cut to discretionary programs at USDA, ranging from conservation to research and rural development grants and programs.

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Could a Potential Biofuels Rule Change Be a Trojan Horse to Hurt the Ethanol Industry?

Rumors have been swirling that the White House is poised to release an Executive Order that would provide “regulatory relief” for the biofuels industry by ending prohibitions on the year-round sale of E15, in exchange for goodies to President Trump’s special advisor on regulatory overhaul, Carl Icahn, a majority stakeholder in CVR Refining. The change could net Icahn a cool $200 million a year in savings.

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Headlines:

1. Senators Klobuchar, Grassley Lead Bipartisan Group of 23 Senators in Urging the Administration to Reject Changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard That Would Upend Stability and Predictability for Small Businesses, Rural Communities

2. USDA Nominee Perdue Will Get Hearing Next Week

3. New, Safer U.S. Rail Cars Gather Dust Even as Ethanol Trains Grow Longer

4. Trump, Easing Emissions Rule, Vows to Expand Auto Jobs

5. 8 Oil Companies Rival United States on Carbon Emissions

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To Contact the Editor: Jessie Stolark at [email protected]

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