Biodiesel tax credit renewal makes US budget deal, but voting delayed

OK, good news and bad news on the US budget deal.

First, the bad news. The budget compromise appears to be running into headwinds in the Senate, in the form of a voting delay imposed by Rand Paul of Kentucky, while opposition in the House from a group of Democrats and hardline conservatives is putting the bill in a limited degree of jeopardy, at press time.

A Politico report speculated that the Senate delay, occasioned by Sen. Paul, would last until no later than 3am Friday morning (DC time), at which time it would pass to the House where it is expected to pass despite opposition on the left and right.

Now, the good news. The budget deal includes a retroactive $1 per gallon biodiesel tax credit for 2017 – a credit which expired at the end of 2016 and which biodiesel advocates have been strenuously attempting to revive. And, the budget deal clears the deck for Congress to begin movement on a 2018 Farm Bill, and Agri-Pulse is reporting that a key compromise on cotton and dairy has put that bill back on track.