Candy-makers heartened by strong vote against sugar program

A coalition of sugar-using industries, including candy-makers, said Wednesday that it was heartening that 46 senators voted in the floor to end the U.S. sugar program even though the attempt failed.

The Coalition for Sugar Reform said the vote on a farm bill amendment by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) was a new high-water mark in its quest to end the decades-old system of import quotas and sugar-price supports that make sugar more expensive to buy in the United States.

“Although members of the Coalition for Sugar Reform are disappointed that the Senate voted today to table the Shaheen amendment by a 50-46 vote, we are encouraged that on a bipartisan basis, nearly half the Senate clearly sees the need to debate and reform current U.S. sugar policy,” it said.

According to Shaheen’s office, the last time the Senate voted on the sugar program in 2001, an attempt to end the program was defeated 71-29.
 
The amendment was strongly supported by conservative Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), whose state is home to Hershey.

Sugar growers have long been one of the most powerful lobbies in Washington given that sugar is grown in cane form in the South and in beet form in the upper Midwest. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.) led the opposition to the change.

The American Sugar Alliance hailed the vote and noted that the sugar program does not affect the budget and that removing support for sugar farmers could make the United States overly dependent on imports.

"Amidst political bickering over procedural issues, the Senate today voted in favor of
no-cost U.S. sugar policy in the Farm Bill. Today's vote to reject an amendment that would have repealed U.S. sugar policy is great news for taxpayers and grocery shoppers as well as the country's food security,” it said.

“As many senators noted, the current system operates without taxpayer expense and U.S. grocery shoppers enjoy prices that are well below the world average. Senators voting with sugar producers today should be applauded for their hard work and commitment to America's farm families,” it said.