Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, today, Oct. 19, faulted the Biden administration for not issuing the renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for ethanol on time and for not putting in place a system for applications for pandemic aid for ethanol producers.

In a call to reporters today, Grassley noted that Biden had invited oil industry leaders to the White House last week to discuss rising gas prices and said Biden should be looking to the Corn Belt for assistance, not to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries or U.S. oil companies for help.

On Monday, Grassley and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, also led other Republicans to send Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack a letter on the pandemic aid.

Grassley said today there is “no excuse” that USDA has not distributed the pandemic aid that Congress provided.