## THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE REFERRAL December 04, 2013 TO: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ACTION COMMENTS: ACTION REQUESTED: DIRECT REPLY W/COPY REFERRAL COMMENTS: DESCRIPTION OF INCOMING: ID: 1126617 MEDIA: LETTER DOCUMENT DATE: November 14, 2013 TO: PRESIDENT OBAMA FROM: THE HONORABLE AL FRANKEN

UNITED STATES SENATE WASHINGTON, DC 20510 SUBJECT: EXPRESSES CONCERNS REGARDING THE LEAKED DRAFT PROPOSAL OF

THE ADMINISTRATION 2014 VOLUMETRIC TARGETS UNDER THE RENEWABLE FUEL STANDARD (RFS) AND URGE THE PRESIDENT TO REJECT ANY PROPOSED RULE FROM EPA OR OMB THAT MIRROS THE CONTENT OF THE LEAKED DRAFT
COMMENTS:

PROMPT ACTION IS ESSENTIAL -- IF RECIUIRED ACTION HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN WITHIN 9 WORKINO DAYS OF RECEIPT, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, PLEASE TELEPHONE THE UNDERSIONED AT (202) 458-2690.



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RETURN ORIC3INAL CORRESPONDENCE, WORKSHEET AND COPY OF RESPONSE (OR DRAFT) TO: DOCUMENT TRACKINO UNIT, ROOM 83, OFFICE OF RECORDS MANA(3EMENT - THE WHITE HOUSE, 20500.. t



## THE WHITE HOUSE DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT AND TRACKING WORKSHEET DATE RECEIVED: November 21, 2013 NAME OF CORRESPONDENT: THE HONORABLE AL FRANKEN ,^ ^ ^
CASE ID: 1126617 SUBJECT: EXPRESSES CONCERNS REGARDING THE LEAKED DRAFT PROPOSAL OF THE

ADMINISTRATION 2014 VOLUMETRIC TARGETS UNDER THE RENEWABLE FUEL STANDARD (RFS) AND URGE THE PRESIDENT TO REJECT ANY PROPOSED RULE FROM EPA OR OMB THAT MIRROS THE CONTENT OF THE LEAKED DRAFT
ROUTE T0: TYPE DATS AGENCY/OFFICE (STAFF NAME) CODB DATE RESPONSE CODE CONfP1.ETED LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ ORG 11/22/2013 ACTION COMMENTS:

ACTION COMMENTS:

ACTION COMMENTS:

ACTION COMMENTS:

ACTION COMMENTS: 

### COMMENTS: MEDIA TYPE: LETTER USER CODE: ; ACTION CODES I A = APPR OPRIATE ACTION j TYPE RESPONSE B = RESEARCH AND REPORT BACK ^_..._ ._..
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# // a ^VI17, ALFRANKEN SUITE MINNESOTA SH-309 202-224-5641 

# 'United .15tates ^5enate WASHINGTON, DC 20510-2309 

### November 14, 2013 The Honorable Barack Obama President 

### United States of America The White House Washington, D.C. Dear President Obama: I am writing to express serious concerns regarding the leaked draft proposal of the Administration's 2014 volumetric targets under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). This approach, if adopted, would further lock our country into dependence on oil, and it would cripple the growing cellulosic and advanced biofuels industry just as it approaches the cusp of commercial-scale production. This leaked draft proposal is inconsistent with the Administration's energy security and economic growth objectives. I urge you to reject it.At a time when new cellulosic and advanced biofuels plants are fully expected to ramp up commercialscale production, any cut to the RFS would be particularly damaging. The RFS is a policy foundation on which the cellulosic and advanced biofuels industry must be built. Weakening this foundation just as cellulosic and advanced biofuels begin to take off would jeopardize decades of research and development and negate important economic progress in the biofuels sector. The RFS is designed to give investors long-term, stable energy policy that they can use as a foundation for large-scale, innovative investment into the development of next-generation biofuels. The policy was intended to break the oil industry's monopoly over our nation's transportation fuel system. It was also designed to give low-carbon competitors in the cellulosic and advanced biofuels space access to the market. That is why the low renewable fuel targets in the leaked draft are of concern. While the RFS allows EPA to adjust volumetric targets when there is not enough available fuel to meet the target, the leaked draft proposal lowers targets for a number of critical biofuel categories that are meeting and even surpassing RFS targets. The uncertain investment environment this would create would be particularly harmful for innovative startup companies in the cellulosic and advanced biofuels space. If adopted, this leaked draft would hurt innovation and investment in the U.S. economy, including rural economies. It will negatively impact our environmental and energy security goals, and it will further increase our reliance on oil. I therefore urge you to reject any proposed rule from EPA or OMB that mirrors the content of the leaked draft proposal. Sincerely,



### Al Franken U.S. Senator

W W W. FRANKEN.SENATE.GOV