(Washington D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, applauded the inclusion of $70 million for advanced drop-in biofuel production in the Fiscal Year 2013 Senate Defense Appropriations bill.  The funding will be made available through the Defense Production Act, which has been used to develop and deploy technologies that enhance national security by supporting the creation and commercial viability of defense-critical industries.  The Defense Production Act has in the past been used to boost domestic production of steel, aluminum, and semiconductors.

“Ensuring that the Department of Defense has the flexibility in fuel sources it needs is critical to maintaining strategic capabilities in a 21^st century military,” said Senator Murray.  “Our military has long been an innovator in areas crucial to our national defense, and this modest investment to advance alternative fuel sources continues that tradition.   I was pleased to work with Chairman Inouye to include $70 million in the Defense Production Act for advanced drop-in biofuels.”