With the caucuses just hours away, GOP Presidential candidate Ted Cruz is doubling down on his opposition to Iowa’s ethanol mandate, an immensely controversial issue in the Hawkeye state that has caused politicians like Gov. Terry Branstad to attack the Texas Senator.
Cruz struck back this weekend, spotlighting the Governor’s family financial benefits from the policy.
According to The Hill:
“Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz on Sunday blasted Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R), saying his son is a lobbyist “who makes hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying on ethanol.”
Cruz backs a plan to phase out the federal ethanol mandate, which requires fuel refiners to blend a certain amount of ethanol into their gasoline supply. That stance caused the Iowa governor to urge voters to reject Cruz.
But Cruz said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday morning that the people who are attacking him are lobbyists and Democrats. He also noted the governor’s family makes “a ton of money” lobbying on ethanol.
“And the lobbyists very much want to keep Iowa focused on the ethanol mandate, because it keeps Iowa dependent on Washington,” he said. “It means every year, they’ve got to go back to Washington and maintain the mandate. The lobbyists get paid, the politicians get paid…”
Cruz said his plan would actually expand Iowa’s economy instead of hurt it.”
