June 16, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 16, 2022

Contact: Sasha Galbreath, Sasha.Galbreath@mail.house.gov 

Trone Votes to Lower Food and Fuel Costs for Hardworking Americans

The Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act will help bring down grocery costs and gas prices by giving American farmers and ranchers the resources they need to support our nation.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Trone voted for bipartisan legislation to secure the food and agriculture supply chain, assure fair competition in the meat and poultry sectors, and lower food and gasoline costs for American families. The measure passed the House and now heads to the Senate.

“Today, I proudly voted to deliver much-needed relief for hardworking Marylanders. By lowering costs for America’s agricultural sector, we can directly lower food prices for American families,” said Congressman Trone. “By easing rising costs early in the supply lines, we can better combat high prices at the supermarkets and the gas pump. When times get tough for America, it’s Congress’ job to step up, put partisanship on the shelf, and take action. Through this bill and many others, we’re doing just that.”

The Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act takes three steps to lower costs for America’s families: reduces fertilizer costs to help lower food prices in the grocery store, cuts meat and poultry costs by increasing meatpacking competition and capacity, and reduces prices at the pump by making cheaper, cleaner Unleaded 88 (also known as E-15) more available.

• Lower Fertilizer Costs in the Field to Lower Food Prices in the Grocery Store.  Russia and Ukraine are major global producers of key components of fertilizer, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has dramatically driven up the costs of fertilizer for American farmers — in turn, driving up prices for consumers.  The Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act reduces our dependence on foreign fertilizer production and includes two bipartisan bills to help American farmers lower their costs with $500 million in USDA funds as well as loan guarantees to pay for solutions, including precision agriculture, to use fertilizers more efficiently.  Lower costs for farmers mean lower costs for families.

• Lower Meat and Poultry Costs by Increasing Meatpacking Competition and Capacity.  Unfair, anti-competitive practices by the major meatpacking conglomerates who dominate the market are driving up the price of meat and poultry in the supermarket even as many of the men and women who raise the beef, pork, and chicken are forced to accept prices that make it almost impossible to make ends meet. The Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act strengthens competition in the meat and poultry sector and alleviates the supply chain bottlenecks that let meatpacking conglomerates set bad prices for producers and consumers alike.  The bill includes the bipartisan Butcher Block Act to expand and create new meat processing capacity and options to market cattle, as well as the bipartisan Meat & Poultry Special Investigator Act, establishing a USDA Special Investigator for Competition Matters with new powers to swiftly crack down on anti-competitive practices by meatpacking conglomerates in violation of the long-standing Packers and Stockyards Act.  Better enforcement will lead to greater competition in meat processing, fairer access to markets for producers, and more price stability for consumers.

• Lower Prices at the Pump by Making Cheaper, Cleaner Unleaded 88 More Available.  Homegrown American ethanol grown by American farmers is one of our most powerful tools to fight Putin’s Price Hike on American families, and nextgen biofuels infrastructure can make it even cleaner and more efficient to produce.   Unleaded 88 is a cleaner, typically cheaper fuel option that costs on average approximately 40 cents less per gallon, emits less carbon pollution, and burns cleaner than regular gas.  The Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act expands access to lower-cost Unleaded 88 and taps the power of American farmers to break the grip of foreign autocrats weaponizing the price of oil and gas.  The bill includes the bipartisan Year-Round Fuel Choice Act, which builds on the Biden Administration’s action allowing for the voluntary year-round sale of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol, known as E-15 or Unleaded 88.  The bill also includes the bipartisan Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Investment and Market Expansion Act, which invests $200 million to help deploy additional storage and dispensing equipment to ensure that higher ethanol blends, biodiesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and other biofuels are more readily available across the country.

Congressman David Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, which includes all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties. Trone serves on the Appropriations, Veterans’ Affairs, and Joint Economic Committees. In Congress, Trone is fighting to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders, including the mental health and addiction crises, criminal justice reform, and funding for medical research.

Follow Congressman Trone at @RepDavidTrone for updates on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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