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Gephardt, Daschle Letter to Gingrich Supporting Senate Highway Bill

MAY 6, 1998

Gephardt, Daschle Letter to Gingrich Supporting Senate Highway Bill

DATED MAY 6, 1998
DOCUMENT ATTRIBUTES
  • Authors
    Gephardt, Rep. Richard A.
    Daschle, Sen. Thomas A.
  • Institutional Authors
    U.S. House of Representatives
    U.S. Senate
  • Cross-Reference
    For related text and news coverage, see the Tax Notes Today Table of

    Contents for May 7, 1998.
  • Code Sections
  • Subject Area/Tax Topics
  • Index Terms
    legislation, tax
    fuel, ethanol
    Highway Trust Fund
    investment incentives
  • Jurisdictions
  • Language
    English
  • Tax Analysts Document Number
    Doc 98-14361 (1 page)
  • Tax Analysts Electronic Citation
    98 TNT 88-20
====== FULL TEXT ======

May 6, 1998

The Honorable Newt Gingrich

 

Speaker

 

H232 Capitol

 

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Mr. Speaker:

[1] For the past three years, the domestic ethanol industry has been the subject of a sustained assault by influential oil-state Republicans in the House of Representatives. In 1995, 1997 and now this year certain Ways and Means Committee Republicans have tried to end the ethanol tax incentives. We urge you to call off this attack and join us in strong support of the provisions of the Senate highway bill that extend the ethanol tax incentives to 2007.

[2] The contribution of renewable fuels to national environmental, energy and transportation policy is well documented and widely acknowledged. The Senate has voted twice on this matter -- first in 1995 and most recently on March 11, 1998 -- with over two- thirds of the members supporting extension of the tax incentives to 2007. Recently, the President has been joined by his Secretaries of the Treasury, Transportation and Agriculture in urging this position.

[3] Other important voices have been made their support for extending the ethanol tax incentives known. A bipartisan group of sixteen governors recently wrote to us expressing support for the Senate's ethanol provisions. Former national security officials General Lee Butler, Robert McFarlane, Admiral Thomas Moorer, and R. James Woolsey have urged extending the tax incentives through the year 2007 to improve our national and energy security. And recently, the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers Of America (SIGMA) wrote a letter in support of the Senate provisions.

[4] We frankly are perplexed that certain congressional Republicans, who promoted millions of dollars in tax breaks for the oil industry just last week, are attempting to eliminate the tax incentives that benefit America's farmers, reduce air pollution and help improve our energy security.

[5] Over a dozen new ethanol plants that will help diversify the industry and bring needed economic development to rural America have been in hold since Congress failed last year to extend the program. Further delay in extending the tax incentives will only add to the economic uncertainty America's farmers already face.

[6] The time has come to take meaningful steps to ensure that a few powerful House Republican leaders do not thwart the will of the majority and force America to take a giant step backward in our efforts to expand our domestic renewable fuels industry. We call on you to demonstrate your commitment to ethanol by appointing Republican conferees now who will support the Senate's provision extending the ethanol tax incentives.

Sincerely,

Dick Gephardt

 

House Democratic Leader

Tom Daschle

 

Senate Democratic Leader
DOCUMENT ATTRIBUTES
  • Authors
    Gephardt, Rep. Richard A.
    Daschle, Sen. Thomas A.
  • Institutional Authors
    U.S. House of Representatives
    U.S. Senate
  • Cross-Reference
    For related text and news coverage, see the Tax Notes Today Table of

    Contents for May 7, 1998.
  • Code Sections
  • Subject Area/Tax Topics
  • Index Terms
    legislation, tax
    fuel, ethanol
    Highway Trust Fund
    investment incentives
  • Jurisdictions
  • Language
    English
  • Tax Analysts Document Number
    Doc 98-14361 (1 page)
  • Tax Analysts Electronic Citation
    98 TNT 88-20
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