Spencer Abraham

President George W. Bush, a former member of the Governors' Ethanol Coalition, expressed his continued strong support for ethanol in a November letter to the Renewable Fuels Association.  "I support the ethanol tax benefit.  And, as I have stated in the past, am committed to searching for innovative uses for agricultural products with environmentally beneficial uses such as ethanol," Bush said.  "Ethanol is one product that helps America's farmers and aids in making our air cleaner.  I support the current ethanol program and would support its extension beyond the 2007 expiration date.  I also believe we should encourage the development of new technologies for cost-effectively producing ethanol, bio-diesel fuels, as well as other products."
The Bush Administration will include former Michigan Senator Spencer Abraham as Energy Secretary, former California Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman as Agriculture Secretary, and former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman as the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Ann Veneman

During his tenure in the U.S. Senate, Secretary Abraham was a consistent ethanol proponent who recognized the benefits of the ethanol industry to agriculture, energy security and the environment.  During her confirmation hearing, Agriculture Secretary Veneman pledged to promote ethanol and biofuels as environmentally friendly alternatives to MTBE.  Whitman was also questioned about MTBE during her confirmation hearing.  The new Administrator promised to make resolution of the MTBE controversy a top priority.  New Jersey is the site of several MTBE contamination sites.

Christine Todd Whitmann