On 29th November, the AFPM responded to the US Senate’s endorsements of the purchase of costly biofuels by the US military. Two votes in the last two days removed provisions from the 2013 defence authorisation bill that would have prevented the Navy from unnecessarily spending hundreds of millions of dollars to purchase costly biofuels and to spend taxpayer dollars to build domestic biofuels refineries.
Comments
Charles T. Drevna, AFPM President said, ‘As the fiscal cliff approaches leaving many Americans to face the fallout from painful tax increases and significant spending cuts, the Sentate has inexplicably voted on an outrageous increase in military spending by allowing acquisition of biofuels at a cost of as much as US$ 26 a gallon, nearly eight times that of traditional fuels. The Senate’s decision to remove a provision that barred the Navy from building new biofuel refineries is equally perplexing because the government shouldn’t be competing with a private sector capable of producing fuels and essential products in the most cost efficient manner.
‘Today our nation is facing a potential fiscal crisis, which if not resolved, could have a severe impact on economic stability and national security. While there may be a place for biofuels in the US military’s future, the decision to invest in those fuels should be based on sound economic judgement, and not political pandering that does nothing to advance national security.’
Adapted from press release by Claira Lloyd.