The American Soybean Association (ASA) continues efforts to get Congress to take up a tax extenders package that includes extension and restructuring of the biodiesel tax credit before it expires at the end of 2016. This week, ASA joined with a diverse group of over 50 organizations and industries in a letter to Congress, urging action on multi-year extension of the tax provisions slated to expire.

To bolster the case and support for the biodiesel tax credit, ASA wants to increase the number of cosponsors on the House and Senate marker bills. ASA encourages growers at the state level to contact their members of the U.S. House of Representatives and urge them to cosponsor H.R. 5240, introduced by Noem and Pascrell. Likewise, Senators are urged to cosponsor S. 3188 introduced by Sen. Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Cantwell (D-WA). These bills would provide a three year extension (2017-19) of the biodiesel tax credit and shift it from a blender’s to a production credit to further promote domestic biodiesel production. Under the current blender’s structure, biodiesel imported to the U.S. qualifies for the $1 per gallon incentive when it is blended in the U.S. – even when the imported fuel often already receives incentives in its country of origin. ASA and the U.S. biodiesel industry supports restructuring the tax incentive to a domestic producer’s credit, as proposed under H.R. 5240 ad S. 3188.

There are 15 cosponsors of the Senate bill and 15 cosponsors of the House bill, which are listed below. ASA is particularly focused on increasing the number of cosponsors in the House.  In previous year’s, over 35 House members have cosponsored biodiesel tax credit legislation and/or signed letters of support. We need to match or exceed that number for cosponsors of H.R. 5240. If a Member of Congress from your state is already a cosponsor, please contact them to express your appreciation and ask them to weigh-in with House or Senate Leadership in support of a tax extenders package in the lame duck session in December.

Current House Sponsors/Cosponsors:

Noem (R-SD)

Pascrell (D-NJ)

Peterson (D-MN)

Loebsack (D-IA)

Blum (R-IA)

King (R- IA)

Young (R- IA)

Adrian Smith (R-NE)

Jason Smith (R-MO)

Luetkemeyer (R-MO)

Wagner (R-MO)

Guthrie (R-KY)

Bishop (D-GA)

Takai (D-HI)

Kuster (D-NH)

Cicilline (D-RI)

Current Senate Sponsors/Cosponsors:

Grassley (R-IA)

Cantwell (D-WA)

Blunt (R-MO)

Roberts (R-KS)

Heitkamp (D-ND)

Thune (R-SD)

Whitehouse (D-RI)

Ernst (R-IA)

Donnelly (D-IN)

Kirk (R-IL)

Heinrich (D-NM)

Hirono (D-HI)

Murray (D-WA)

Franken (D-MN)

Klobuchar (D-MN)

Markey (D-MA)

The  Soy Action Center will connect growers with their House and Senate offices. Please spread the link broadly among grower members in your state.

If you have any questions or get any feedback from your House offices, please contact Tom Hance in the ASA Washington office at thance@soy.org or 202-969-7040.