U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra is working to make sure that biofuels research is included in the $3.5 trillion spending bill pending in Congress.

The Republican from Hull successfully got two amendments to the spending bill approved in a House committee Thursday.

”Since President Biden has completely failed to live up to his promise to promote and advance biofuels, I took matters into my own hands,” Feenstra said in a written statement.

”I am pleased that my colleagues on this committee adopted my amendments that will ensure biofuels are finally included in President Biden’s bloated budget bill,” he added. ”I will continue fighting to deliver results for corn and soybean growers and biofuels producers in the Fourth District and across America’s heartland.”

The first amendment that Feenstra got approved adds biofuels to the list of bioenergy technologies the U.S. Department of Energy will develop and demonstrate. That means money from the department can be spent on advanced biofuel projects.

The other amendment directs NASA to include biofuels in its research into sustainable aviation fuels.

Both amendments were passed unanimously by the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.

Two other amendments proposed by Feenstra were rejected.

One of them would have directed that at least 20 percent of the research and education funding in the bill would go to a program that helps 25 states, including Iowa, improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

The other amendment would have required federal agencies that start new programs using money provided by the bill to inform Congress how they would plan to keep those programs going after that money is gone.

Feenstra said he was ”disappointed that Democrats blocked my reasonable proposals.”

”Instead, they continued plowing forward with this socialist spending spree with zero regard for the negative effect it will have on our economy and future generations,” he said.