About two years ago, Republicans started talking about crony capitalism. In the last few months, they've started doing something about it.

Republicans on the attack 

against corporate welfare

by Timothy P. Carney

Republican Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., together with Arkansas Democrat Mark Pryor, have proposed a bill to end the ethanol mandate, a blatant boondoggle for agribusiness.

The ethanol bill follows a string of other GOP-led attacks on corporate welfare programs. Sugar subsidies, export subsidies, energy tax credits, and too-big-to-fail banks have all been the targets of GOP legislation in the current Congress.

Barrasso's bill would repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard created by the 2005 Energy Bill and expanded by the 2007 bill. In the House, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., has a bill doing the same.

The RFS requires refiners to blend a certain quantity of "renewable fuels," such as corn ethanol and cellulosic ethanol, into their gasoline. If you see a gas pump reading "contains 10 percent ethanol," that's not because Exxon wants it there - it's because Exxon is required to blend it with their petroleum.

Defenders, like President Obama, point out that ethanol helps U.S. corn farmers. They argue that it's good for the environment and it lessens our dependence on foreign oil.

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