Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to discuss two amendments to the underlying bill: amendment No. 411 offered by Senator McCain and amendment No. 476 offered by Senators Feinstein and Coburn. I oppose these amendments. Abruptly pulling support for ethanol, as these amendments attempt to do, runs counter to vital efforts to reduce dependence on foreign oil. The ethanol industry supports over 400,000 American jobs, offers consumers a choice at the pump, lowers fuel prices, and displaces millions of gallons of foreign oil with a homegrown alternative. Amendment No. 476, offered by Senators Feinstein and Coburn, would eliminate the blender tax credit for the use of ethanol and end the tariff on imported ethanol that ensures tax incentives are limited to domestically produced renewable fuels. Senator McCain's amendment, No. 411, would block federal efforts to promote ethanol blender pumps or ethanol storage facilities. Last fall, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced a goal of installing 10,000 blender pumps nationwide over 5 years to help give consumers a choice at the pump. Senator McCain's amendment would end this type of important initiative to promote renewable fuel infrastructure. While I support responsible efforts to reform and significantly reduce the cost of tax incentives for ethanol, we must focus on developing our ethanol infrastructure that will facilitate the transition toward advanced biofuels and cellulosic ethanol.…”