Agricultural and biofuels groups as well as farm state lawmakers are pleased that the new COVID relief package passed by Congress last night includes help for producers excluded from previous aid legislation.
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) says relief includes the Paycheck Protection Program for Producers Act. “The bill also includes funding to allow the Department of Agriculture to provide additional assistance to ag producers who were dealing with a tough economy before the pandemic hit,” said Thune.
The bill explicitly makes producers of biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel eligible for USDA assistance, at the discretion of the secretary. “Biofuel producers have suffered from the drop in fuel demand during the pandemic and I hope the secretary will ensure that they are able to receive assistance,” Thune said. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) on COVID relief for agriculture :58
-The Hagstrom Report
The House and the Senate late Monday passed the fiscal year 2021 omnibus appropriations bill and a COVD-19 relief package, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump for his signature.
The omnibus appropriations bill will cost $1.4 trillion and the COVD-19 relief package $900 billion.
The measure was split in two in the House.
The House vote on Divisions B,C, E and F was 327 to 85, with 43 Republicans, 41 Democrats and one Independent opposing it.
The House vote on the rest of the combined bill was 359 to 53, with 50 Republicans, two Democrats and one independent opposing it.
The vote in the Senate was 92 to 6.
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Emily Skor
-The Hagstrom Report
As Congress appeared close to a deal on an omnibus appropriations bill and COVID-19 relief late Wednesday, there were signs that the massive legislation might also extend tax breaks, and Growth Energy asked that biofuels measures be included.
Both The New York Times and The Washington Post reported that negotiations were continuing and that congressional leaders said they would not leave town until a bill is passed.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said that the tax extenders might be included, Law360 reported.
“As of 3 o’clock yesterday, there was good hope of reaching an agreement. I can’t get into those details until they’re announced,” Grassley said Tuesday. “But there was some question that if we didn’t have a COVID package, whether that’s with or without the omni and it’ll probably be in the omni then we may not have extenders.”