Feinstein, GOP senator fight subsidies for ethanol

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California and Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn have joined forces with Tea Party activists in an attempt to kill $6 billion a year in ethanol subsidies, taking on the corn lobby and anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist.

Ethanol, an alcohol fuel made from corn and used as a gasoline additive, for decades has received lavish federal subsidies in the form of tax breaks, import tariffs and regulations that set a goal of gasoline to contain up to 10 percent ethanol. The Environmental Protection Agency this year approved blends of up to 15 percent ethanol for cars made in 2001 and later.