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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) today voted to pass comprehensive, bipartisan legislation to lower costs for American families in the grocery store and at the gas pump.

The Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act is a bipartisan six-bill package that will bring down expenses for American families by lowering fertilizer costs for farmers, increasing meat processing capacity, and expanding access to Unleaded 88 fuel.

“Families across the country are feeling the squeeze as grocery and fuel prices continue to rise throughout the country as a result of Putin’s war in Ukraine and Big Oil keeping production low in order to rake in record profits,” said Dingell. “The bipartisan Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act will invest in the domestic production of fertilizer and meat and poultry and expand access to cheaper, cleaner fuel to reduce our dependence on foreign producers and stabilize fuel prices. This bipartisan legislation will take critical steps to shore up our food supply chain, lower prices in grocery aisles, and make cheaper fuel more accessible.”

Specifically, the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act includes:

• Expands USDA loans to farmers and rural entities for rural broadband and precision agriculture and technology – to help use fertilizers more efficiently.

• Includes $500 million in USDA funds to cover 100 percent of the cost of nutrient management plan for farmers to reduce fertilizer use and lower costs while also providing resource benefits including clean water and reduced carbon use.

• Establishes a USDA Special Investigator for Competition Matters with new powers to swiftly crack down on anti-competitive practices by meatpacking conglomerates in violation of the long-standing Packers and Stockyards Act.

• Expands and creates new livestock and meat processing capacity alleviating supply chain bottlenecks and providing producers more options to market cattle.

• Builds on the recent Biden Administration action allowing for the voluntary year-round sale of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol, known as E-15 or Unleaded 88 – reducing prices at the pump for consumers.

• Invests $200 million to help deploy additional storage and dispensing equipment to ensure that higher ethanol blends, biodiesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and other biofuels are more readily available across the country.