RALEIGH – The Civitas Institute is leading a coalition of state and national policy groups calling on Congress to oppose an additional $100 million in subsidies for the biofuels industry, under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP).
Donald Bryson, president and CEO of the Civitas Institute, submitted a letter this morning to U.S. House and Senate leadership co-signed by public policy leaders from around the country. A copy of the letter is available here.
“Subsidizing biofuels, like ethanol, have cost taxpayers more than $60 billion since 2003 and have led to increased food and fuel costs for American consumers,” said Civitas Institute President and CEO Donald Bryson. “Federal policymakers need to use the current fuel market as an opportunity to reform the biofuel infrastructure, instead of seeking to give it a sugar rush of taxpayer money.”
The letter calls on congressional leaders to oppose the $100 million in grants announced by the USDA on May 4, calling it a “bailout of the American Biofuels Infrastructure.” The letter further calls on Congress to repeal the Renewable Fuels Standard as a way to begin real reform in agriculture and biofuels.
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