WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a longtime member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today issued the following statement regarding the Biden administration’s decision to allow the summertime sale of E15 fuel:

“As I have repeatedly stated to the Biden administration, biofuels are a common-sense, readily available energy solution that should be utilized to their full potential,” said Thune. “Today’s decision is welcome news that will leverage American agriculture to provide a lower-cost fuel option for American drivers, bolster an essential market for our farmers, and reduce transportation emissions. The president is right to take this step, and I will continue to press for biofuels to play a significant role in a truly all-of-the-above energy strategy that can restore American energy independence.”

In March, Thune and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) led a bipartisan group of their colleagues in urging President Biden to resume the year-round sale of E15 fuel in order to lower gasoline prices and reduce the United States’ reliance on foreign sources of energy. Thune has also called on President Biden to meet with farm-state senators to further discuss how biofuels, like ethanol and biodiesel, can meet American energy needs.