Corn farmers need Congress to deliver a win, but legislative time is running out 

By Lesly McNitt, NCGA Vice President of Public Policy 

There’s nothing like expecting to learn the outcome of a summer cliffhanger in September only to find you may have to wait until later in the year before the story is resolved. Yet, that’s where we are this month when it comes to ethanol legislation important to the nation’s corn growers. 

In early August, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry had a vote on the renewal of the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026. The legislation was particularly important to corn growers because it contained language that would eliminate an antiquated regulatory clause preventing the summer sale of fuels with a 15 percent ethanol blend, also known as E15 or Unleaded 88. 

The committee vote came on the heels of the May 13 passage in the House of Representatives of a standalone E15 bill. There appeared to be momentum, but then the Senate hit a snag: A disagreement in the committee along party lines prevented the legislation from advancing. 

Our expectation was that committee members would negotiate to consider a compromise version of the legislation after its summer recess. NCGA spent the better part of August preparing to push hard for passage of legislation when it resurfaced this month. As of this writing, it’s still uncertain whether the vote will take place and whether it will have a different outcome. 

Adding to the uncertainty is the countdown clock to the end of this Congress. The Senate is in session for only a few weeks this month. Senators will then head home for the month of October, as the mid-term elections approach, leaving unresolved business to be addressed later in the year. 

While NCGA’s policy team is following all these twists and turns and political candidates are out campaigning, it is not lost on us that corn growers are in the field harvesting and getting the job done. When Members of Congress return to Washington, they will need to act with the same intensity to deliver wins for farmers. 

The time is now. And that is why corn growers are taking time away from their fields and families mid-September to come to Washington, D.C., to make their voices heard and to ensure that House and Senate Members are harvesting wins before time runs out. 

Not everyone can take the time away from their fields and families to make the trek east, but if you are able, I encourage you to look for opportunities to advocate closer to home when your elected officials are on the campaign trail. It’s a good reminder that your support must be earned with more than promises. 

Here is a list of key wins that must be harvested this year to help corn farmers: 

• Pass year-round E15 legislation into law. 

• Pass a bipartisan Farm Bill. 

• Support the Biobased Materials Investment and Production Act 

• Pass legislation to tackle high input costs by restoring transparency, fairness and diversified supply to fertilizer markets. 

The bottom line is farmers need wins that expand market opportunities and inject more stability into the economics of farming. The added benefit of many of these solutions is that they deliver benefits far beyond the farm gate. 

Cheaper gasoline, cleaner ingredients for industrial and household products, rural jobs and stronger food supply chains are wins that touch the lives of many Americans. So, let’s get down to work and get those wins in the bin. 

IRS provides clarity on 45Z 

The Internal Revenue Service in early September released its guidance for farmers looking for clarity on the future of the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit, which was designed to incentivize the production of aviation fuel and other clean fuels. 

The guidance, in conjunction with the Sept. 8 updated Department of Energy GREET Model, will give safe harbor to previously recognized “on farm” practices in reducing the carbon intensity of qualifying fuels. Ohio corn grower and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Jed Bower said many will benefit from this tax credit. 

“We are very pleased to see these agencies reaffirm the positive actions from the administration earlier this year, which recognized the importance of existing regenerative practices. We have been encouraged by the strong cooperation and emphasis on how this tax credit will benefit the individual farmer throughout the implementation process,” Bower said. 

“This guidance also codifies positive changes to the credit regarding indirect land use change. We look forward to working with the Treasury Department this fall as it looks to issue a final rule by November. NCGA would also like to see ‘book and claim’ acknowledged as a viable chain of custody methodology in the final rule.” 

Book and claim allows farmers to sell the environmental value of their low-carbon corn directly to biofuel producers digitally, eliminating the need to physically segregate and transport those crops to a specific facility.