Trump urges Congress to pass E15 legislation and farm aid

President Donald Trump on June 24 urged Congress to pass year-round E15 legislation and sought $11.1 billion in additional farm aid.

The White House’s $87.6 billion supplemental request included $67.1 billion for the War Department, $10 billion in temporary economic assistance for row and specialty crops planted in crop year 2026, and $1.1 billion for Florida farmers recovering from winter storm losses. The package linked fuel policy and farm support in one rural message, with the E15 push aimed at lifting domestic ethanol demand while the aid request targeted growers facing low crop prices and high input costs.

The House passed a nationwide year-round E15 bill on May 14 by a 218-203 vote, but the measure has met resistance in the Senate, including from oil-state lawmakers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines E15 as gasoline blended with 10.5% to 15% ethanol, and it approved the blend in 2011 for use in model year 2001 and newer light-duty conventional vehicles, along with light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles.

The policy fight has also run through EPA’s seasonal waiver process. On June 9, the agency issued a waiver allowing a single national gasoline pool with 9% to 15% ethanol content at a common 10 psi RVP standard. EPA had already said that in roughly two-thirds of the country, E15 could not be sold from terminals beginning May 1 and at retail stations beginning June 1 without a waiver.

For the ethanol sector, permanent E15 would open a broader gasoline-blending window and extend demand beyond the summer waiver cycle. The Renewable Fuels Association said E15 has typically sold at a 10-cent to 40-cent per gallon discount to regular gasoline, with average savings of about 25 cents per gallon in recent years, giving refiners and retailers a price incentive to keep the higher-ethanol blend on offer.

Farm-state supporters have framed the proposal as part of a larger income package that needs to land before October, when updated agricultural safety nets kick in. USDA had already launched the Farmer Bridge Assistance program earlier in 2026, and the new request adds another layer of temporary support as lawmakers weigh whether to lock in a permanent E15 market.