This was a vote on an amendment by Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) prohibiting federal funds from being used for the construction of an ethanol blender pump (which allows drivers to choose different fuels with varying levels of ethanol at gas stations), or an ethanol storage facility.  This amendment was offered to a continuing resolution funding the federal government through September 2011, and cutting $61 billion in federal funding for many government programs. Flake urged support for his amendment: “…The taxpayers have subsidized ethanol for far too long. This amendment will simply bring that slowly to a stop.”

Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA) opposed the amendment: “…This amendment clearly limits consumer choice, and is yet another attack on our nation's progress to try and achieve energy security….It would actually make us much more dependent long term on foreign oil because you are going to limit the choices that are there. And without the blender pumps that he wants to prohibit, most Americans are left with just one option…If we continue to limit the amount of U.S.-produced ethanol we can use in our vehicles, we will be continuing to be beholden to foreign sources of energy, and we will be importing more oil every year.”

Flake responded: “…This is not a choice at all. It's a mandate. That's why we've got to end it. It's been a boondoggle for 30 years. It remains so. Let's vote for this amendment.”

The House agreed to this amendment by a vote of 261-158. Voting “yea” were 183 Republicans and 78 Democrats. 105 Democrats—including a majority of progressives—and 53 Republicans voted “nay.” As a result, the House agreed to an amendment prohibiting funds provided by a continuing resolution from being used for the construction of an ethanol blender pump or an ethanol storage facility.