Ed Whitfield: “I would say quite the contrary.”

As I see it, the RFS was enacted largely for three reasons--to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, to lower greenhouse gas emissions, and to strengthen rural economies.

It is critically important that the Federal Government maintains its leadership role of promoting, encouraging, and enticing interested stakeholders.

During the almost 6 years that I have been chairman of this subcommittee, we've had 40 hearings that have looked at various EPA rules and proposals that affect or will affect the Nation's energy and industrial sectors.

However, most of this trend is due to sharply increased domestic oil production--something that few imagined was even possible during the Congressional debates over the RFS.