September 6, 2019
California congressman slams government agency for stalling Aemetis’ foreign investment
In Washington, Representative Josh Harder (CA-10) slammed the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) for its incompetence in handling a local request for investment which would bring an estimated 2,000 jobs to the Central Valley. Aemetis Technologies is planning to open a new manufacturing facility in Riverbank but is reliant on foreign investments to afford initial construction. USCIS is required to approve such applications, but the agency appears to have lost paperwork and ultimately denied approval of the application without explanation. Rep. Harder has met with White House staff regarding the request and sought several updates from the agency.
“I don’t know what the heck is going on over at USCIS, but they need to get their act together – we’re talking about nearly 2,000 jobs in a place where we have an unemployment rate higher than the national average,” said Rep. Harder. “It’s unbelievable the runaround this company has gotten when they just want to create jobs that could only exist in the Central Valley. We should make it easier – not harder – for companies to create jobs here. This whole process is an example of the worst kind of red tape in government.”
– , Biofuels Digest