Last week the Senate passed a Farm Bill that included much-needed energy provisions that will leverage America’s agriculture industry in the effort to improve our energy independence.
Before it passed, one effort to dilute the Farm Bill was an amendment that would have eliminated support for biorefinery, renewable chemical and biobased product manufacturing assistance programs. This amendment was defeated by a 36-63 vote, and we’d like to thank all ABO members and algae enthusiasts that asked their Senators to support robust energy programs in the Farm Bill.
We encourage you to contact members of the Senate that voted for the Farm Bill and thank them for their support. You can find out how your Senator voted here.
Next, the Farm Bill goes to the House Committee on Agriculture, probably after the July 4 recess. It is likely that the energy provisions will be under even greater threat than they were in the Senate.