Congressman Pompeo: Senate Vote Supports Special Interests Over American Troops and Taxpayers

Press Release

Yesterday the United States Senate voted 62-37 in favor of allowing the Department of Defense to purchase costly alternative energy fuel for our nation's ships, airplanes, tanks, and other vehicles. This vote robs precious funds from our military and from American taxpayers.

This amendment (S.Amdt. 2985) to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (S. 3254), introduced by Colorado Democrat Mark Udall, eliminates an underlying provision that would have prohibited the Defense Department from producing or purchasing biofuels if the cost exceeds the price of traditional fuels. As a direct result, this amendment will divert scarce military resources and waste hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on alternative fuel that costs $26 per gallon, at least 600% more than traditional fuels.

Congressman Pompeo, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and U.S. Army veteran, offered the following comment:

"I am profoundly disappointed that the Senate has chosen to support Washington special interests over American troops and taxpayers. This is exactly the kind of wasteful Department of Defense spending that we cannot afford. With the Defense Department facing shrinking budgets, it is fundamentally wrong to divert scarce resources that could be used instead for life-saving equipment or training. There is no good reason to allow the Defense Department to spend more than it has to on the already expensive commodity of fuel. Troops and taxpayers should not take a back seat to the President's radical environmental agenda. Wasting taxpayer dollars on fuel that costs 600% more and achieves the same results is exactly the kind of ridiculous spending that has created our $16 trillion national debt."

The House of Representatives' version of the National Defense Authorization Act included language restricting the use of biofuels. The House and Senate bills must be reconciled prior to being sent to the President.

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