Meets with United Steelworkers members, discusses efforts to reach win-win solution for corn farmers and refinery workers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today participated in a roundtable discussion with United Steelworkers members. There, he discussed his efforts to reach a win-win solution to the issue of skyrocketing RINs.
Watch Sen. Cruz’s opening remarks here.
“Thank you for being here, and thank you for the tremendous work you’re doing,” Sen. Cruz said. “I’m encouraged by the progress we’re making in dealing with RINs and the RFS. As you guys know, this RINs system is broken. It doesn’t make any sense for federal regulations to just be hammering refineries, and crushing jobs. In my view, Washington ought to be fighting every day for the working men and women in this country.”
Sen. Cruz continued, highlighting the problems within the broken RINs system, and his efforts to reach a win-win solution for corn farmers, and refinery workers.
“When the RINs system was originally designed, when the EPA invented these artificial licenses, everyone was told they’d be one penny, or two pennies each. And for the first couple of years, that’s what they were. But then they skyrocketed, going as high as a 1.40 each. And the consequence has been a massive threat to working jobs across the country. A couple of weeks ago I was up in Philadelphia at the PES (Philadelphia Energy Solutions) refinery and we had 12,000 workers in a tent – union guys whose jobs are all on the line. PES, their RINs in 2012 were $10 million. Last year, they were $218 million. It was more than double payroll. No company can survive if you’re spending more than double your payroll buying essentially a government license.”
Sen. Cruz continued, “The good news that all pass on is that we’ve seen a series of meetings really designed to focus the Administration on this problem, and to bring all the relevant players together. I am convinced there is a win-win solution. There is a solution that lifts this burden on refineries, lifts this threat to your jobs, and at the same time, lets corn farmers sell even more corn.”