Former Missouri Governor Matt Blunt joined us during the conference today. Here he is pictured with a few members from the Missouri Soybean Association right after doing a ride & drive with some new biodiesel powered cars and trucks. Matt is now the President of the American Automotive Policy Council and lives in Virginia. By the way, he also has a small herd of beef cattle.
Matt took the stage today to deliver a powerful speech. Here are a few excerpts from it and you can listen to his full speech below.
American ingenuity and perseverance are expanding energy supplies across the board– and biodiesel is no exception. Americans would much rather have American farmers working to fuel our transportation industry than foreign leaders who do not share our values or our commitment to free government.
As both a former governor and a Naval officer I can tell you energy security remains among biofuels’ most important benefits.
Sending billions of dollars every year to nations that do not share the interests of the United States is clearly not an ideal public policy
Growing our own fuel is growing agriculture in Missouri and across the country. With soybean production in 2014 at a record level of nearly a billion bushels, soybeans are the second-most-planted field crop in the United States after corn.
And the United States is the leading soybean producer and exporter.
As new fuels enter the marketplace, whether biodiesel, renewable diesel or any other product, it is important that existing fuels remain readily available to fuel vehicles currently on the road, in order to protect consumers and their vehicle warranties.
It is essential that the auto industry and government stakeholders continue to work collaboratively to ensure the diversification of the U.S. transportation fuel supply occurs in a manner that is technologically and economically feasible, and in no way harms consumers.
You can listen to Matt’s speech here: Matt Blunt Speech