Rick Santorum

In an unsuccessful attempt to tamp down enthusiasm from recent Iowa rallies in support of President Donald Trump, the Iowa Democrats released a statement condemning the president’s betrayal of Iowa farmers. They had their facts wrong, of course, but at least part of the blame for that rests squarely on anti-biofuel advocates. A few days earlier, they started false rumors about an executive order that would gut the Renewable Fuel Standard, which fosters a market for homegrown fuels. The White House has made it clear that no such order is in the pipeline, and Iowa’s own Gov. Terry Branstad has confirmed that the administration’s commitment to rural jobs remains strong as ever.

Unfortunately, efforts to weaken the RFS aren’t going away anytime soon.

Billionaire Carl Icahn is no stranger to the soap box, and he’s working with a handful of other refinery owners to maneuver for rewrites to the 11-year-old law. They hope to change something called the “point of obligation,” which makes refiners responsible for ensuring that consumers have access to biofuel blends.

Under their plan, refiners would reap big profits, but a new burden would fall on smaller businesses, namely gas stations and fuel distributors. The added financial incentive to sell higher ethanol blends would vanish, and the result would be less demand for homegrown energy derived from farms across the country.

Given the uncertainty his proposal would create for U.S. businesses, Icahn’s demands face widespread opposition by others in the marketplace — including biofuel advocates from Iowa to DC, retailers, consumers and even other oil companies. And while he may be an occasional adviser to the White House, he certainly doesn’t speak for Trump on this issue, as Democrats might claim.

Challenges to homegrown energy are nothing new, but the staunch support of champions like Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa and Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., has always helped ensure that agricultural states have a chance to compete with foreign oil for a place at the pump. As a result, consumers benefit from more affordable choices at the gas station and hundreds of thousands of Americans have jobs creating clean, renewable energy.

And Trump agrees. He understands that biofuels are a major pillar of the economy in communities across the heartland. He campaigned on the promise that the RFS will be a vital part of this administration’s response to rising grain surpluses that threaten a fourth straight year of declining farm income.

But revitalizing rural growth isn’t the only goal of the RFS. American biofuels have broad, bipartisan support because they serve to keep our air clean and dramatically reduce our reliance on foreign oil. U.S. reliance on foreign oil has fallen by half since the RFS was enacted.

In 2016 alone, U.S. biofuels displaced 510 million barrels of imported oil, keeping $20.1 billion in the U.S. economy. That’s the kind of America-first approach to policy that united rural and Rust Belt voters behind Trump and the GOP during the last election.

Middle America is ready for action when it comes to strong trade, tax and regulatory policies that will expand U.S. businesses, not send jobs to Mexico and China. Homegrown energy is a vital part of that effort, especially at a time when oil ministers at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries are working hand-in-hand with Russia to cut global energy supplies and push up the price of fuel.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill should take note. Icahn and his friends did not win this election. It was won by blue collar voters who care deeply about energy security, U.S. jobs and a revitalized rural economy. We can’t let a few refinery owners like Icahn muddy the waters with their attempts to undermine this administration’s commitment to the RFS.

With a strong mandate from states like Iowa and Pennsylvania, now is the time to deliver “Big League” for rural America.

RICK SANTORUM is a former U.S. senator and is co-chair of Americans for Energy Security and Innovation.