Coalition of 90 groups blast ethanol tax credits

March 2, 2011 |

In Washington, a coalition of 90 organizations urged Congress to let the refundable Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) expire and to resist calls for spending on infrastructure for conventional biofuels.

The coalition says: “Congress has the opportunity to end the $6 billion a year subsidy to gasoline refiners who blend corn ethanol into gasoline. At a time of spiraling deficits, we do not believe Congress should continue subsidizing gasoline refiners for something that they are already required to do by the Renewable Fuels Standard.  Experts like the Congressional Budget Office and the Government Accountability Office have concluded that the subsidy is unnecessary, and leading economists agree that ending it would have little impact on ethanol production, prices or jobs.

Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis responded: “It is efforts like these that perpetuate our addiction to foreign oil. If American consumers had a choice, most would choose the fuel that creates U.S. jobs, reduces harmful emissions and strengthens our national security. Growth energy has proposed reforming ethanol policies in our fueling freedom plan which would redirect the current tax credits toward the build out of infrastructure to deliver access to higher level blends of ethanol.”

Signatorees of the coalition letter included:

ActionAid US
Africa Action
Africa Faith and Justice
Alabama Poultry and Egg Association
Alliance of Western Milk Producers
American Bakers Association
American Conservative Union
American Frozen Food Institute
Americans for Limited Government
Americans for Prosperity
American Jewish World Service
American Meat Institute
Beyond Pesticides
California Dairies, Inc.
California Poultry Federation
California Safe Schools
Center for Auto Safety
Center for Biological Diversity
Center for Food Safety
Clean Air Task Force
Clean Water Action
Citizens for Tax Justice
Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
Dairy Producers of New Mexico
Dairy Producers of Utah
Environment America
Environmental Working Group
Foreign Policy in Focus
Freedom Action
FreedomWorks
Friends of the Earth
Heartland Institute
Georgia Poultry Federation
Greenpeace USA
Grocery Manufacturers Association
Idaho Dairymen’s Association
Indiana State Poultry Association
International Center for Technology Assessment
International Dairy Foods Association
John Locke Foundation
KyotoUSA
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
League of Conservation Voters
Marynoll Office of Global Concern
Milk Producers Council
Mississippi Poultry Association
MoveOn.org
National Audubon Society
National Catholic Rural Life Conference
National Council of Chain Restaurants
National Chicken Council
National Meat Association
National Restaurant Association
National Retail Federation
National Taxpayers Union
National Turkey Federation
National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resources Defense Council
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
North Carolina Poultry Federation
Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance
Northeast Organic Farming Association — Interstate Council (NOFA-IC)
Northwest Environmental Defense Center
Northwest Dairy Association
Oil Change International
Oxfam America
Partners for the Land & Agricultural Needs of Traditional Peoples (PLANT)
The Poultry Federation
Public Citizen
Public Interest Research Group (PIRG)
Safe Climate Campaign
The SafeLawns Foundation
Sierra Club
Snack Food Association
Southeast Milk Inc.
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Southern Horticulture
Taxpayers for Common Sense
Tennessee Poultry Association
Texas Poultry Federation
U.S. Poultry and Egg Association
Union of Concerned Scientists
Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth
Virginia Poultry Federation
Washington Cattle Feeders Association
Washington State Dairy Federation
The Watershed Partnership
World Wildlife Fund

Category: Policy

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