Boehner won't push to cut ethanol tariff

[Eugene]

Boehner won't push to cut ethanol tariff

By Tom Doggett
Reuters
Monday, May 15, 2006; 12:21 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a big win for U.S. ethanol producers, House Majority Leader
John Boehner said on Monday he will not push legislation to reduce the U.S. tariff
on ethanol imports.

U.S. oil refiners are scrambling to secure ethanol supplies to mix with gasoline
this summer as they switch from using the water-polluting fuel additive MTBE. But the
Energy Department has warned that U.S. ethanol supplies will fall short and refiners will
need to rely on more imports.

Boehner, who is from Ohio, said last week that the United States was not producing enough
ethanol to meet demand and that a temporary reduction in the 54-cent-a-gallon tariff could
help boost available supplies and lower gasoline prices.

<snip>

However, House Speaker Dennis Hastert from the big ethanol-producing state of Illinois said
later that he did not believe there was "an economic plus" in lifting the ethanol tariff
"right now."

Boehner, the No. 2 Republican in the House, is taking Hastert's position against lifting
the tariff, though he says for different reasons.

<snip>

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/15/AR2006051500588.html