By Kevin McCauley
American Capitol Group is working for the American Coalition for Ethanol, which is fighting to stave off Congressional efforts to kill the federal subsidies to blend corn with gasoline.
The ACG is lining up support for a bipartisan compromise called the Ethanol Reform and Deficit Reduction Act pushed by agricultural state Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) that is poised as an effort to support independent and farmer-owned ethanol facilities.
The measure would save $1.3B in subsidies through the early repeal of tax benefits while extending other breaks to small producers. Thune has said the proposed legislation is “trying to make the best of a bad situation.”
ACG’s effort is led by Jonathon Lehman, who was counsel for Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle until he was defeated by Thune. Lehman also served as counsel to the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Based in Sioux Falls, SD, the ACE represents about 1,500 farmers, commodity groups, rural electric cooperatives and supplies to the ethanol industry.
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