GOP candidate counters congressman's criticism on ethanol vote
[March 19, 2026]
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – An Illinois Republican challenging for the state’s
17th Congressional District is pushing back after Democratic Rep. Eric
Sorensen, D-Rockford, accused GOP lawmakers of siding with “Big Oil”
over farmers during a debate over year-round sales of E15 gasoline.
Speaking during a House committee hearing, Sorensen argued expanding
nationwide access to the ethanol blend would boost demand for corn and
provide relief to struggling producers.
“We all know because we hear from our farmers that input costs are
creeping up higher and higher while commodity prices sink lower and
lower,” Sorensen said. “Allowing year-round E15 would increase domestic
corn demand by more than 2 billion bushels annually.”
Year-round E15 fuel sales have been notably excluded from the main House
Agriculture Committee's draft of the 2026 Farm Bill.
But Republican challenger Julie Bickelhaupt, a farmer who grows corn and
soybeans, said Sorensen is mischaracterizing why some Republicans
opposed the measure.
“I would like to see E15 initiatives agreed upon,” Bickelhaupt told The
Center Square. “But in this situation, I feel like Eric Sorensen totally
missed the mark.”
Bickelhaupt said she supports expanding ethanol markets but acknowledged
lawmakers sometimes oppose policies when they are tied to broader
legislative packages.
“I wholly support oil production as a resource for fuel,” she said. “But
it’s important to use a renewable energy source like corn to supplement
a non-renewable resource like oil.”
[to top of second column]
|
Sorensen framed the issue as a choice between farmers and oil
interests, arguing that expanding ethanol access would lower fuel
costs for Americans while strengthening the agricultural economy.
“Increasing access to higher blends nationwide would provide
consumers with a more affordable, low-carbon fuel option at the
pump, saving Americans more than $20 billion in fuel costs,”
Sorensen said. “It’s time that we put farmers ahead of big oil.”
Bickelhaupt said the congressman focused narrowly on one issue while
ignoring the broader legislation the vote was attached to.
“Instead of seeing the big picture of the whole Farm Bill and the
initiatives of other agriculture-leading industries, he chose to
take that political position that he always does,” she said. “He
likes to make a big deal out of one thing and say he’s supporting
farmers when really that is not his initiative.”
Bickelhaupt also argued expanding ethanol blends could strengthen
domestic energy production while reducing reliance on foreign oil.
“If we have more of our own production here and we can supplement
it, do we need to import as much?” Bickelhaupt said. “It can help
extend our ability to use oil in the future.”
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
