The Senate will vote again on ethanol subsidies today, reports Ben Geman: "The Senate will vote again Thursday on a plan to strip a major ethanol industry tax break and end the ethanol import tariff. Forty senators voted for the measure Tuesday, well shy of the 60 votes needed to advance the plan, when Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) offered it as an amendment to an economic development bill. But the politics of Tuesday’s battle were clouded by Democratic anger at Coburn’s surprise procedural move last week that set up the vote. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Wednesday evening that the Senate would vote on Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) identical version of the amendment tomorrow. Lawmakers will then vote on Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) amendment that would block use of federal funds for the construction of ethanol blender pumps or storage facilities. Both will need 60 votes to pass."
The Senate's second ethanol vote may succeed, reports Steven Mufson: "The foes of ethanol subsidies are planning to try again in what could prove to be one of the toughest battles ever for the ethanol industry. Some oil industry lobbyists, never fans of the ethanol subsidy, say around 20 Democrats, who this week opposed Coburn for largely procedural reasons, could join with Republicans to eliminate the subsidies in a measure being drawn up by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). If successful, it would end a long streak of success for ethanol proponents, an odd assortment of a few big companies, Midwest corn farmers and national security strategists eager to reduce American reliance on imported petroleum."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/wonkbook-debt-negotiators-focusing-on-medicaid/2011/06/16/AG6in9WH_blog.html