NCGA adapting to new opportunities to gain passage of year-round E15 bill 

By Lesly Weber McNitt, NCGA Vice President of Public Policy 

After spending valuable time with family and friends over the holidays, I was eager to get back to work advocating for the nation’s corn growers. But as my family and I prepared to return to Washington from a trip to Puerto Rico, we learned that the island’s airspace was closed due to the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, causing flight cancellations and delays. 

Thanks to modern technology and my amazing team, I was able to work out of NCGA’s “Caribbean office” for a few days. 

This experience is illustrative of life and political advocacy. We can make plans, but those plans can be shaped or even halted by events beyond our control. This truism shapes our work at the National Corn Growers Association. As we lobby in Washington, we realize we must ride the political waves, adapt and seize opportunities when they present themselves. 

That’s exactly what we are doing as we work this month to push for immediate passage of legislation in Congress that would allow for year-round access to fuels with 15 percent ethanol blends nationwide. 

As you may be aware, absent a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency, the sale of these higher blends of ethanol, referred to as E15, is prohibited during the summer months because of an outdated clause in the Clean Air Act. It will require an act of Congress to allow the consistent sale of E15 during the summer months, which would create the certainty needed to increase demand and help stabilize the farm economy. 

So, to make that possible, we are cutting through the controversies of the day and identifying potential legislative vehicles that will help us win. 

Working with a broad coalition of partners, we are talking regularly with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and making the case for why year-round E15 is a win for farmers, consumers and rural economies. 

Your efforts also needed 

We are also working with the Trump administration and have been pleased that the president and his cabinet officials have expressed support. 

Corn grower leaders are playing a major role, which is important, as they are well respected by policymakers in Washington. These leaders, including representatives from your state corn growers association, continue to visit Capitol Hill regularly and are making their voices heard through videos and a letter-writing campaign. 

But there is going to be one crucial person we need in this and other efforts over the year ahead, and that person is you. 

We need you to stay engaged and consistently reach out to your members of Congress. To do this, we encourage you to continue your affiliation with your state corn growers association. If you are not currently a member, be sure to join, which will also make you a member of our national association. 

You can find your organization here: https://ncga.com/about-ncga/who-we-are/state-affiliates. 

I would also encourage you to sign up for advocacy alerts from my team by visiting www.ncga.com/advocacy. That way, you will be kept abreast of breaking news on these topics and will have the opportunity to weigh in with the policymakers who represent you. 

Victories from 2025 

There is no denying that 2025 was a difficult year for those of us who work to affect policy change in Washington. Yet, despite these monumental challenges, corn grower advocates have been able to move the needle with Congress, the administration and regulators. As a result, we have achieved numerous victories, including: 

• Ending the ban on genetically modified corn imports into Mexico. After a hard-fought campaign by NCGA and state corn advocates, the U.S. won a dispute settlement under the USMCA. In 2025, Mexico rescinded its decree that banned GM corn imports from the U.S. 

• Expanding foreign markets abroad. NCGA has encouraged the Trump administration as it has brokered new bilateral trade agreements. We have welcomed the administration’s efforts to make corn and corn byproducts a centerpiece of these agreements. New deals with the UK, Japan and other countries will boost U.S. corn demand in a difficult economic time for growers. 

• Shaping tax and farm policy to benefit farmers. NCGA and state-based advocates worked to ensure key tax provisions, like the estate tax exemption and bonus depreciation, were permanently extended. The budget reconciliation bill also became an avenue to update several major farm bill priorities important to corn growers, which were included in the legislation. 

• Blocking efforts to ban crop protection products. NCGA spearheaded advocacy efforts to ensure the final MAHA report was science-based. We worked with the administration, and the commission’s final recommendations in September reflected a shift in tone and substance related to pesticide use and crop production, removing any specific claims about pesticides. 

As my latest travel challenges demonstrate, we can expect curveballs on the road to victory. But with the help of corn grower leaders like you, I am convinced we will soar in 2026 even with the occasional travel delay. 

Cheers to a new year and victories ahead.