Page 4—Corn Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 10, 1998
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Corn growers and all
Americans can breathe easier
today, thanks to congression
al passage of an omnibus
transportation bill that
extends the federal ethanol
tax incentive through 2007.
HR 2400, the Building
Efficiency Surface
Transportation Equity Act
(BESTEA), was approved
overwhelmingly by both the
House and Senate in May.
“This landmark legislation
marks a major victory for all
Americans who will reap the
benefits of cleaner air, new
jobs, increased farm income,
rural economic development,
lower fuel costs, and reduced
U.S. dependence on foreign
oil,” said National Corn
Growers Association (NCGA)
President Ryland Utlaut, a
farmer from Grand Pass, Mo.
Farmers Union
Applauds
Commitment
To Ethanol
WASHINGTON, D.C. - National
Farmers Union (NFU) applauded U.S.
House Speaker Newt Gingrich for the
recent appointment to a conference
committee House members who sup
port the ethanol tax incentive program.
The conference committee is charged
with reaching a compromise on the
House and Senate versions of the high
way bill which extends ethginol tax
incentives through 2007," said NFU
President leland Swenson. 'We are
extremely pleased with Speaker
Gingrich's decision to appoint ethanol
supports to the conference committee.
Gingrich's action follows strong leader
ship for extension of the ethanol incen
tive by House Minority Leader Richard
Gephardt, D-Mo., Senate Majority
Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., and Senate
Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D.S.D."
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Transportation Bill Extends Ethanol Tax Incentive
The conference report on
H.R. 2400 passed the senate
by a 88-5 vote, and was then
cleared by the House 297-86.
NCGA is urging President
Clinton to act quickly to sign
the measurement into law.
Currently, gasoline mar
keters who blend their prod
uct with ethanol can claim a
5.4-cent-per-gallon exemp
tion from the federal gasoline
excise tax. That exemption
was scheduled to expire on
Dec. 31, 2000. The final lan
guage in the transportation
bill extends the incentive
through December 31, 2007,
with modest reductions to 5.3
cents in 2000-2001, 5.2 cents
in 2005 and thereafter.
“Congressional supporters
of an environmentally and
economically sound energy
policy, accompanied by farm
ers across the United States,
worked long and hard to
ensure this vital incentive
was preserved,” Utlaut said.
“We owe a particular debt of
gratitude to a number of key
policymakers whose drive
and motivation ensured that
sound public policy tri
umphed over politics.
“Chief among them are
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
and Carol Moseley-Braun (D
-IL), the original authors of
the extension provision. We
also appreciate the efforts of
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)
and Reps. Jim Nussle (R-IA)
and Kenny Hulshof (R-MO).
They, along with Sen.
Grassley, served on the con
ference committee that craft
ed the final details of the
bill,” Utlaut noted.
Utlaut also praised the co
chairs of the congressional
Alcohol Fuels Caucus - Reps.
David Minge (D-MN), Lane
Evans (D-IL), Bill Barrett (R
-NE) and Nussle - who
worked long and hard to
build bipartisan support for
the ethanol extension. In
addition, he cited the leader
ship of House Speaker Newt
Gingrich (R-GA), House
Minority Leader Dick
Gephart (D-MO), Senate
Majority Leader Trent Lott
(R-MS) and Senate Minority
Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD),
all of whom instrumental in
ushering the extension
through the legislative
process. Finally, the backing
of the Clinton administra
tion, particularly Vice
President A 1 Gore and
Agriculture Secretary Dan
Glickman, was invaluable in
assuring that the extension
became a reality.
Utlaut also acknowledged
the individual efforts of many
thousands of corn growers
and other ethanol supporters
nationwide who have worked
tirelessly to educate policy
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makers about ethanol’s bene
fits to the economy, the envi
ronment and U.S. energy
security. “Their letters, phone
calls and meetings with elect
ed officials obviously reaped
rich dividends and proved the
power of grassroots democra
cy,” he said.
“This transportation' bill
will provide a tremendous
boost to the domestic ethanol
industry, an industry that
creates jobs, boosts farm
income,- stimulates rural
economies, cleans the air,
saves taxpayers millions of
dollars and it helps reduce
our nation’s dependence on
imported oil,” Utlaut said.
“Inspired by this victory, the
nation’s corn farmers are
more committed than ever to
ensuring a long and viable
future for this home-grown,
renewable fuel.”
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