FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2016
Contact: James Rockas

Campaign Announces Iowa Agriculture for Trump

DES MOINES, IA –  Today the Iowa Trump-Pence campaign announced a coalition of over 200 industry leaders who have joined Iowa Agriculture for Trump.  The grassroots group of farmers, business owners, and innovators have praised Donald Trump's pro-agriculture policies. 

"We already know that Hillary Clinton wants to eliminate the Renewable Fuel Standard, though she refuses to say it publicly” said Annette Sweeney, Chair of the Iowa Agriculture for Trump Coalition.  "Donald J. Trump will protect the Renewable Fuel Standard, eliminate the death tax that decimates family farms, and rein in the overzealous EPA.” 

Recent emails released by Wikileaks from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta have revealed that he and other advisors told Clinton to go even further than the Obama administration in tampering with or eliminating the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Iowa Agriculture for Trump is chaired by former State Representative Annette Sweeney as well as Honorary Co-Chair Thomas C. Dorr, former Undersecretary of Agriculture for Rural Development.   Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey is also a member of the coalition.


Background:

Trump in Iowa: 'I will end this war on the American farmer’
By Evelyn Rupert, The Hill

Donald Trump made a pitch to farmers while campaigning in the swing state of Iowa Friday, vowing to stop the "war" on the agriculture industry. 

Trump slammed Clinton's proposals as destructive to family farm businesses.

"Massive tax cuts for family farms, do you like that?" Trump said at a rally in Cedar Rapids. "We're going to protect our family farms. Hillary Clinton's plan will shut down family farms all over the nation."

"Hillary wants to substantially increase the estate tax on family farms. In other words, it will be very hard to leave your farm to your children and your heirs," he said.

Trump touted his plan to cut taxes and eliminate the estate tax and said Clinton would implement "radical EPA regulation."

"I will end this war on the American farmer."

Trump also said he would "protect corn-based ethanol, and we will also cancel billions of dollars in climate change payments to the United Nations, and we will use that money to help rebuild America's infrastructure.”


By John Siciliano, The Washington Examiner

Hillary Clinton's campaign mulled supporting the elimination of the Environmental Protection Agency's renewable fuels program before a campaign tour through the corn state of Iowa last year, according to illegally obtained emails posted by the website WikiLeaks.
Senior campaign aides suggested in the April 2015 emails that coming out forcefully against the EPA would put her at odds with the Obama administration but would go "further" than any Democrat or Republican on the issue of EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard. Supporting the repeal of the standard, which requires certain amounts of ethanol and other biofuels be added into gasoline and diesel supplies, would put her at odds with many Midwest corn states and environmental groups that support the program.
Podesta recommended that Clinton focus "more on the program needs to be reformed" than holding to the status quo or supporting its outright repeal.

Podesta wanted her to show support for second-generation renewable fuels, while not going out of her way to criticize corn ethanol. Clinton's message should focus "more on the virtues of advanced biofuels and less explicit knocks on corn ethanol," he said.