WASHINGTON – Chuck Grassley today continued his efforts to pass an extension of the biodiesel tax credit. Reinstating the biodiesel tax credit would likely put nearly 20,000 people across the country, including 2000 Iowans, back to work. Grassley filed an amendment on the small business bill that is currently being debated in the Senate. Grassley’s amendment would reinstate the biodiesel tax credit, which expired on December 31, 2009, for all of 2010.
“The Democratic leadership has essentially put the biodiesel industry out of business with the tactics they are using in the Congress. This non-controversial, non-partisan provision for clean, green energy is being held hostage,” Grassley said. “I’m trying, once again, to put Americans back to work in this clean, renewable fuel industry.”
Grassley has twice sought to pass legislation he introduced that would extend the credit through December 31, 2010 and make it retroactive to January 1, 2010 when the credit initially expired. His unanimous consent request was rebuffed by Democratic leaders both times.
In February, Grassley also worked out a bipartisan compromise with Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the tax policy-writing Finance Committee, where Grassley is ranking member, but the Democratic leaders overrode the Baucus-Grassley compromise in favor of partisan politics.
Grassley first sought to extend the credit almost one year ago when he and Senator Maria Cantwell introduced legislation on August 9, 2009 to simplify and extend for five years the tax incentive for domestic biodiesel production.