For those of you who might be wondering just what the heck happened this week in the Senate, where they voted in favor of ethanol before they voted against it and then for it again, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen offers some insight in a post on The E-xchange blog. Dinneen explains that the vote Tuesday to …
House Cuts Ethanol Blender Pump Funds
While an amendment to cut federal funding for ethanol blender pumps failed in the Senate, another one passed in the House. The amendment, offered by Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) to the Agriculture Appropriations bill passed by a vote of 283-128. As the sun sets after a busy day on Capitol Hill for ethanol interests, the question is whether any of …
Ethanol Loses One Vote and Wins Another in Senate
The Senate voted to preserve federal funding for blender pumps right after it voted to end the ethanol blenders tax credit (VEETC) and associated tariff immediately. The amendment by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) to prevent federal funding to help pay for installing alternative fuel infrastructure such as blender pumps and storage tanks at gasoline stations. The measure failed on a …
Senate Votes to End Ethanol Blenders Tax Credit
The same amendment to end the ethanol blenders tax credit (VEETC) that failed in the Senate on Tuesday passed today on a vote of 73 to 27. The only difference between the two amendments is that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) took the lead on it instead of Republican Tom Coburn of Oklahoma who broke procedure to bring it to the …
More Ethanol Dialogue Needed
The ethanol industry is anxious to continue talks about the future of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) and how best to balance the budget while still ensuring the ethanol industry can move forward. Yet while many believe the Senate’s defeat of Sen. Coburn’s ethanol amendment opens the door for dialogue, others believe today’s action does little to move …
Ethanol Future Could be Headed to Senate Showdown
After the defeat Tuesday in the Senate of an amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) to immediately eliminate the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC), the ethanol industry is supporting another approach and the two concepts could be heading for a showdown in the Senate before the end of the month. “That indeed has been teed up with a commitment …
Coburn Amendment Quashed
In a vote of 40-59, Sen. Tom Coburn’s (R-OK) Amendment No. 436 to immediately eliminate the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) and the tariff on imported ethanol was quashed. Coburn’s proposal needed 60 votes to move forward but fell short by 20 votes. Shortly after the news hit, the ethanol industry began calling for “real reform.” “The fight is …
Ethanol Expected to be Debate Topic
Ethanol is expected to be a hot topic when Republican presidential hopefuls debate tonight in New Hampshire. The candidates who are scheduled to participate include Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. Renewable …
Ethanol Industry Criticizes Coburn
The ethanol industry is criticizing Sen. Tom Coburn’s (R-OK) amendment to eliminate the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) immediately. During the past few months, the ethanol industry has acknowledged that the time is near for the tax credit to be phased out and has offered bipartisan plans to phase out VEETC over the next five years. Growth Energy has …
Ethanol Faces Double Attack in Senate
The ethanol industry is facing a double pronged attack in the U.S. Senate. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) went to the floor last night with an amendment to eliminate the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) immediately, while at the same time Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is proposing to eliminate funding of ethanol infrastructure. “It is a two-pronged attack, it is …