Sen. Jon Ernst, a strong supporter of the ethanol industry, said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt lied to her and other senators last year when he promised to uphold the Renewable Fuel Standard. | Alex Wong/Getty Images Pruitt 'is about as swampy as you get,' Republican senator says

Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst says President Donald Trump would be justified in firing EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, who she accused of lying about his policy views and misusing his office.

Pruitt "is about as swampy as you get here in Washington, D.C. And if the president wants to drain the swamp, he needs to take a look at his own Cabinet," Ernst said Tuesday at an energy policy forum in Washington. She stressed that she was speaking for herself and that it is up to Trump to decide whether to keep Pruitt on board.


Ernst, a strong supporter of the ethanol industry, said Pruitt lied to her and other senators last year when he promised to uphold the Renewable Fuel Standard, and hammered him for more recent ethical lapses over "the way he spends money, the way he misuses his office." She accused Pruitt of breaking Trump’s promise to farmers at a time when commodity prices are down and a confrontational approach to trade is hurting exports.

The White House is expected to soon announce a deal that would expand sales of 15 percent ethanol fuel, which corn-state lawmakers have sought for years, but allow ethanol exports to count for compliance with the RFS, something ethanol supporters say would undermine the program. Ernst said she lifted her hold on Bill Wehrum's confirmation as EPA's air chief last year only after Pruitt promised to abandon export compliance, and she accused Pruitt of breaking his word.

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“Administrator Pruitt put in writing he intended to uphold the congressional intent of the RFS and he has not done that,” she said. “He also put into writing that the scheme to attach [Renewable Identification Numbers] for exported ethanol would stop and that’s a lie, because now that’s exactly what he proposed.“

Iowa's senior Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley has said in the past that he would call on Pruitt to resign if he didn’t like the look of the White House changes to the program. Ernst did not call for Pruitt to step down in her remarks at a Platts Energy Podium discussion Tuesday.

Grassley said in separate remarks that he was concerned at the level of influence the oil industry seems to have had over the emerging RFS deal.

“I would have to wait until this is finalized to make it clear but I think that the chances for Congress overcoming what EPA could do to damage the ethanol industry would be very difficult when you stop to think of this being very much driven by Big Oil,” Grassley said in a call with reporters Tuesday. “Seems like this iron triangle is working its will through the Washington swamp. You know how Big Oil has had Washington wired for a long time and I think EPA is part of this Washington swamp delivering this blow to ethanol if it occurs.”

Ernst said she would not place any blanket hold over Trump nominees to protest the biofuels deal, but she said she may vote in committee against individuals tapped for EPA posts if they refuse to support the program. She also said she doesn’t expect RFS-related provisions to appear in the farm bill. Both she and Grassley appeared ready to accept whatever Trump orders.

“When it comes to accepting it, I don’t think there’s much of a choice anymore,” Ernst said. “Whatever agreement comes out between administrator and secretary of Ag, I don’t know what we can do at this point."

Liz Crampton contributed to this report.