Iowa advocacy group grades presidential candidates on ethanol support

DES MOINES - Voters who wish to pick a presidential candidate and at the same time support a federal renewable fuel program that benefits Iowa corn-growers have at least nine options, according to an advocacy group's new report.

America's Renewable Future, an Iowa advocacy group that promotes the federal rule that mandates a certain amount of corn-based ethanol be placed in the nation's fuel supply, on Tuesday issued its 'midterm report card” on the 2016 presidential candidates and their positions on the rule.

Nine candidates - six Republicans and all three Democrats - earned the report's top grade for their expressed support for the federal Renewable Fuel Standard. The candidates who received the report's 'good” rating were Republicans Donald Trump, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Chris Christie, Lindsey Graham and George Pataki; and Democrats Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley.

'These candidates demonstrated strong and consistent support for the RFS,” said Eric Branstad, state director for America's Renewable Future.

The group also will publish a final report card in January, shortly before Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses.

Branstad said until then the group will focus in particular on the candidates it graded as 'needs work.” Those four candidates - Republicans Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina and John Kasich - have been inconsistent or unclear on the Renewable Fuel Standard, according to the report.

'We are working with each of those candidates and their campaign teams, both locally in Iowa and nationally,” Branstad said. 'And I believe with the hard work that we've done and with the strong support that we have and the thousands of Iowans out there asking (candidates) questions about this important subject, that we hope to move them up. Our goal is to move (those four candidates) up to that ‘good' category, and we are working tirelessly to make that happen.”

The report classified four GOP candidates as 'bad” on the RFS: Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Rand Paul and Bobby Jindal.

Cruz, a U.S. Senator from Texas, has introduced legislation to repeal the standard.

Iowa's renewable fuels industry supports more than 46,700 jobs, generates $4.9 billion of the state's GDP and $2.5 billion in income for Iowa households, according to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association.

President Barack Obama's administration has called for a reduced Renewable Fuel Standard. Some presidential candidates have called for a phase-out or immediate elimination of the standard.

Supporters of the standard say it promotes a clean, renewable fuel source while reducing the country's reliance on foreign oil.

Generally, those who oppose the standard do so on the grounds that the government should not give incentives to industries.

The standard is popular in Iowa, the nation's largest corn producer. The standard is supported by state and federal elected officials from both political parties and by a majority of voters from both parties, according to a recent poll commissioned by America's Renewable Future.

In addition to petitioning candidates, the group has developed a grassroots organization to reach out to voters. Senior adviser Derek Eadon said the group has collected a list of 45,000 Iowa supporters who have pledged to caucus only for a candidate who supports the fuel standard.

'The midterm report card is not the final word, but it puts everyone on notice that Iowans can see whether candidates are preparing to stand with them or against them,” Annette Sweeney, the group's co-chair and former state legislator, said in a statement.