ATR: Coburn Amendment Half-Baked Without DeMint Fix

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Americans for Tax Reform today reiterated its support for full, tax revenue neutral repeal of all government granted advantages and preferences to the ethanol industry. To this end, ATR is pleased to support Senator Jim DeMint's amendment which repeals the Renewable Fuel Standard (ethanol mandate) and kills the death tax. This amendment fills in the gaps left by Senator Tom Coburn's ethanol amendment and overwhelms the Coburn tax increase with a more significant tax reduction. The Coburn amendment repeals the ethanol tax credit and tariff but in a way that raises net taxes and grows government spending. The DeMint amendment abolishes the death tax which is a significantly larger tax cut than the Coburn amendment's $6 billion tax increase.

The DeMint amendment also cuts to the heart of the government's support for ethanol by repealing the mandate that requires American families to purchase ethanol at the gas pump.

Taxpayer Protection Pledge signers should feel free to support the Coburn amendment provided they also vote for the DeMint amendment.

The government's mandate of ethanol usage distorts energy markets and raises prices for consumers. In order to fully repeal the government's unfair, anti-free market support of ethanol, all three policies must be eliminated—the mandate, the tax credit, and the tariff. Only the combination of the Coburn-DeMint amendments completely kills the government's support of the ethanol regime.

The DeMint amendment which abolishes the death tax ensures that repealing the ethanol tax credit is done in a way that prevents additional money from flowing to the appropriations committees. ATR has always opposed all forms of government support of ethanol. Our goal has been to repeal the ethanol tax credit, tariffs and the mandate totally…without raising taxes. The Coburn amendment, combined with the DeMint Amendment, accomplishes this longstanding goal.

Americans for Tax Reform is a non-partisan coalition of taxpayers and taxpayer groups who oppose all tax increases. For more information or to arrange an interview please contact John Kartch at (202) 785-0266 or by email at [email protected].

SOURCE Americans for Tax Reform