Grassley: Regulations can't control God

U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst discussed farming, biotechnology and renewable energy issues at a federal caucus primer Monday at the State Historical Building, sponsored by the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Iowa Biotech Association, Des Moines Register and others.

Here's some of their talking points:

God can't be regulated

Asked how Iowa farmers can be "held accountable" for protecting soil and water, Ernst said she sees many farmers, particularly young ones, embracing conservation practices outlined in Iowa's Nutrient Reduction Strategy, a plan designed to reduce amount of the nitrogen and phosphorus entering the state's waterways and eventually contributing to the oxygen-starved Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

"Because we understand the value of protecting our air, our land and our water, we can do it voluntarily, without big government mandates," Ernst said.

Grassley said the Resource Conservation Act, requiring some conservation practices with government programs, has led to reduced soil erosion and loss of nutrients with it.

"That's one example where the law works. But where a law isn't going to work: Do people think government can do anything when it's going to rain 10 inches?

"It's not the fault of the farmer. God determines if it's going to rain 10 inches. It's a little like EPA wanting to establish a rule over fugitive dust," an abandoned proposal that would have required farmers to limit how much dust they create. "Do you realize that only God determines when the wind blows? And when soybeans are 13 percent (moisture), you have to combine. And when you combine, you're going to have dust.

"You can't have some silly regulation out of Washington, telling you what to do and what not to do," Grassley said.

Need for consistent food labeling

Read TPP before calling

Asked about how they feel about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Grassley said he'd be able to provide more details after he reads the pact's 3,000 pages, now available online.

"It affects 40 percent of global trade," Grassley said. "Being part of the fastest-growing middle class across the globe … is pretty important for the future, assuming it's something we can eventually pass."

He said many people have been told the agreement between 12 countries is secret.

"The negotiations were secret, yes, but they went on over six or seven years, and it's now on the Internet," Grassley said. "We get people calling in, saying to vote against it … but they haven't" read the proposed agreement.

The agricultural industry likes the pact, Grassley and Ernst said.

"From the initial reports, I agree this would be a good deal for Iowa and the United States as a whole," Ernst said.

She said the agreement provides security, as well as trade benefits. Otherwise, she said, the countries will align with China.

Reverse patent trolling

'We'll need a new president'

Grassley said some House members seek to repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard, a mandate requiring ethanol and biodiesel be blended into the U.S. fuel supply. But the Senate has enough support to stop it, he said.

"We have a bigger problem — faceless bureaucrats in EPA who, for the first time, has responded to Big Oil," he said.

EPA has proposed reducing the amount of renewable fuel that must be blended into the national supply.

The U.S. will need a new president to move beyond E10, fuel that most drivers use that's 10 percent ethanol, Grassley said.

"Anything that interferes with the law will discourage capital investment in the next generation of ethanol," such as renewable fuel made from crop residue such as corn cobs, stalks and husks, he said.

Iowa has two cellulosic ethanol plants: Poet started operations in Emmetsburg a year ago; DuPont opened its Nevada plant last month.

"If we don't stop EPA's manipulation, we're not going to get to E15," Grassley said. "Can we stop EPA? I think we'll need a new president."

"It's a vicious circle right now," Ernst said. "If producers don't know our government will stand behind the original congressional intent, they're less likely to invest in that infrastructure," and EPA can criticize producers for not making the next generation of renewable fuel.