Later today, Senators Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint will call for votes to end ethanol subsidies and the renewable fuel mandate. I strongly support their efforts, and I want to encourage you to get involved.
For decades, the federal government has spent tens of billions of dollars in the name of energy independence and the advancement of alternative and renewable energy, with extremely little to show for the money. The U.S. Department of Energy has chosen over the years to support research and production of energy sources that are not – and likely never will be – viab le without continual taxpayer subsidies. DoE has tried to pick winners and losers in the alternative energy field, with very little success.
Senator Coburn’s amendment would end ethanol subsidies and eliminate tariffs on foreign supplies of the biofuel. His measure is one more step in getting the government out of the way of the free market.
Please take the time, right away, to call your Senators and tell them to support the Coburn and DeMint amendments to end ethanol subsidies. Senator Mark Warner can be reached at 202-224-2023. Senator Jim Webb’s office number is 202-224-4024. If you live outside of Virginia, the U.S. Senate switchboard line is 202-224-3121.
As your Senator, I pledge that I will always fight to end government subsidies and giveaways that manipulate the free market. But I’m not exactly sure where my opponent in the Republican primary stands.
You see, in 2003 Senator George Allen fought against the effort in the Senate to increase the amount of ethanol used in fuel by subsidizing the ethanol industry. Then, in May 2005, the Des Moines (Iowa) Register reported that Senator Allen was planning to flip-flop on the ethanol issue and support a bill for the expansion of the ethanol industry. Sure enough, six years ago this week, on June 19, 2005, USA Today reported that George Allen voted in favor of ethanol subsidies.
I challenge George Allen to apologize for his flip-flop on the ethanol issue and join me in unwavering opposition to ethanol subsidies and mandates in the future.
James Eler says:
June 19, 2011 at 6:32 pmI like the idea of getting rid of ethanol mandate but that does not tell me how you stand on Global Warming. I am a staunch skeptic when it comes to this issue.
Andrew Siff says:
July 09, 2011 at 3:12 pmEliminate all subsidy NOW. We can’t afford ‘em, and even if we could, they’re just plain unfair.