[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 82 (Thursday, May 27, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S4507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 4853

  Mr. GRASSLEY. As the majority struggles in an attempt to pass another 
massive deficit spending bill through Congress, biodiesel plants in 
Iowa and 42 other States continue to lay off workers because the 
Democratic-controlled Congress has not extended the biodiesel tax 
credit. This is a simple and noncontroversial tax extension that will 
likely reinstate more than 20,000 jobs nationwide and about 2,000 jobs 
in my State of Iowa alone.
  These jobs have fallen victim to a tactic used by the Democratic 
leadership to hold this popular and noncontroversial tax provision 
hostage to out-of-control deficit spending here in Washington.
  This past February I worked out a bipartisan compromise with Chairman 
Baucus to extend the expired tax provisions, including the biodiesel 
tax credit. However, the Senate majority leader decided to put 
partisanship ahead of job security for thousands of workers, and that 
compromise did not move ahead.
  So I am here again to try to put thousands of Americans back to work 
producing a very clean and renewable fuel. Therefore, I ask unanimous 
consent to proceed to H.R. 4853; that my substitute, which contains a 
1-year extension of the biodiesel and renewable diesel tax credits for 
all of the year 2010, be agreed to, and the bill, as amended, be read a 
third time and passed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana.
  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, and it is 
not with great pleasure, I object to the request offered by my good 
friend from Iowa. This provision he is seeking unanimous consent about 
is one of the provisions in the larger tax extenders bill that the 
House is working on and attempting to pass tonight. They are laboring 
mightily but so far have not been able to pass the extenders job 
legislation that would contain the provision mentioned by the Senator 
from Iowa. This is the tax credit for biodiesel and renewable diesel. 
It has created jobs. It is a good provision.
  I might say to my friend, the jobs are now lost because it expired. 
It expired the end of last year. We will extend this provision. We 
should extend it and we will extend it. We are not able to extend it 
tonight by itself. Why? Because many other Senators have specific 
provisions in the job extenders legislation that are particularly 
applicable to their States.
  One I am particularly interested in is the property tax deduction, 
irrespective of whether the taxpayer itemized his or her deductions.
  There will be a time, when we get back after the recess, to try to 
get these provisions passed so jobs are created. But we have to do it 
together as a package. We can't do it singly, separately, tonight. I 
want to tell my good friend from Iowa I will work with him when we get 
back after the recess. For the time being I feel obliged to object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The Senator from Iowa.

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