Joining other Oklahoma lawmakers who have attacked federal ethanol policy, Sen. Tom Coburn introduced bipartisan legislation on Wednesday to eliminate billions of dollars in tax breaks for production of the corn-based fuel.
Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, said ethanol was part of the solution at a time of rapidly rising gas prices.
The bill authored by Coburn and Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, quickly earned the backing of several environmental and other interested groups, including the Grocery Manufacturers Association and Taxpayers for Common Sense.
History of disapproval
Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, has criticized the nation's ethanol policy, including the biofuels mandate, for years, charging that it has caused food shortages in some parts of the world by diverting corn to fuel production.
Inhofe and Rep. John Sullivan, R-Tulsa, have been working to block a recent Environmental Protection Agency ruling that would allow fuel containing up to 15 percent ethanol for newer vehicles. The current limit is 10 percent.
