As his administration attempts to reduce prices that have risen during Russia’s war against Ukraine, Joe Biden visited Iowa to visit corn-rich Iowa.

A majority of the gasoline that is sold in the United States contains 10% ethanol. A waiver by the Environmental Protection Agency is issued to allow widespread use of 15% blend of ethanol. It’s usually banned between June 1st and September 15 over concerns it can cause high levels of smog.

Officials from the Biden Administration stated that drivers will be able to save an average 10 cents per gallon on gas at 2300 stations. Most of these stations, according to industry associations, are found in the Midwest and South.

Biden plans to make the announcement at Menlo’s biofuel company, which is west of Des Moines. Iowa is home to the nation’s biggest corn crop, which is crucial for producing ethanol.

This waiver will help to ease the global oil markets, which have been impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The president declared last month that the U.S. would release one million barrels per day from its strategic petroleum reserves over the next six-months. After gas prices rose to about $4.23 per gallon at the end March, they have fallen to around $4.23 per gallon, as compared to $2.87 last year, according to AAA.

Biden was urged by both members of Congress and representatives from industry to allow the E15 waiver.

“Homegrown Iowa biofuels provide a quick and clean solution for lowering prices at the pump and bolstering production would help us become energy independent once again,″ said Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. Biden was sent a letter by nine Republican and seven Democratic Senators from Midwestern States last month, asking him to permit year-round E15 sales.

Biden’s Iowa trip is his first as president. Biden was fourth place in Iowa’s tech-challenged caucus.

Biden won the Democratic nomination after rebounding. He returned to Iowa for the rally on the fairgrounds, four days before Election Day 2020. Donald Trump was elected the winner of the state.

Biden is returning to the US at a critical time in his political life. His approval rating is slipping and inflation has reached a forty-year high, while the party could face big losses in midterm elections that could threaten its control over Congress.

He also plans to highlight the bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill that was passed last fall. This law provides money for improving internet access and modernizing wastewater systems. It also includes funds to reduce flooding risks and improve roads, bridges and drinking water supply in areas that are sparsely populated.

Jesse Harris was a senior advisor to Biden’s 2020 Iowa campaign and managed get out the vote efforts and early voting for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Harris claimed that the majority of presidents who travel to Iowa are drawn to its biggest cities. Menlo is part of Guthrie County and Trump won it by 35 points over Biden in 2020. This “reveals the importance the administration puts on infrastructure generally but also infrastructure within rural or smaller communities.”

Biden’s administration will spend the next weeks advocating for billions in rural funding. To help rural communities access the money in the Infrastructure Package, cabinet members and senior officials will be traveling the nation.

Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary said that the president was not planning to make this trip under a political lens. He is making the trip to Iowa because it’s a country with a small rural population that could benefit from his policies.

Administration officials suggest that Biden should travel further to help promote an economy recovering from the effects of the coronavirus epidemic. For example, the number of Americans who are unemployed has dropped to its lowest level since 1970.

However, much of the national positive news has been overshadowed over by surging gasoline, food and housing costs that have increased consumer inflation to 7.9% in the last year. This was February. This is the highest increase since 1982. Biden’s administration will likely get worse news regarding inflation figures for March. They are due Tuesday.

In a statement, Jeff Kaufmann, Iowa Republican Party chairman said that Joe Biden might need to travel back to Iowa to see the consequences of his reckless spending and big government policies on our nation.

Biden will travel to Greensboro in North Carolina on Thursday, just after Iowa.

Psaki claimed that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused gas prices to rise and stated that the administration expected the March consumer price index to be “extremely high” because of this.

In the past, E15 restrictions were lifted by the EPA for seasonal reasons. These include after hurricane Harvey. Trump’s administration approved the sale of E15 in summer months, but the ruling was overturned two years later by a federal appeals judge.