Election offers opportunities and concerns for produce industry
Election offers opportunities and concerns for produce industry
WASHINGTON -- New party leadership in the House and Senate may open the door for advances in sought-after legislation for the produce industry, but it also may leave open the possibility of further food-safety regulation.
The sweeping midterm elections will "certainly represent a change in how we do our work," said Robert Guenther of the United Fresh Produce Association. "We've had 12 years of working with one-party leadership."
He added, "But we're well positioned" because the industry has always reached out to advocates on both sides of the aisle. Mr. Guenther said that United Fresh will be focusing on immigration reform, nutrition, food safety and the 2007 farm bill in the next Congress.
Allies of the produce industry on the House Agriculture Committee, such as Joe Baca (D-CA) and Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), are slated to become leaders there as a result of the power shift. Another friend of the industry, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), is expected to become chair of a powerful House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees spending decisions for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Democrats in Congress have been more likely to support anti-hunger and pro-nutrition legislation, said Kathy Means of the Produce Marketing Association. She said that PMA works with all lawmakers on important issues for the industry.
While Rep. DeLauro has been an advocate for the produce industry's role in boosting the nation's health, the Connecticut lawmaker has expressed concerns about the need to improve food safety and increase regulation of the fruit and vegetable industry.
In September, Rep. DeLauro and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) expressed concern about the amount of time that passed between the first reports of illness and when consumers were notified of the E. coli O157:H7 spinach contamination. Both are advocates of a single food-safety agency and have asked the General Accounting Office to compare response times in the United States with those of countries that have single food-safety agencies.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), who is in line to become chair of the Government Reform Committee, has been outspoken about the need to tighten the safety net. On Nov. 1, Rep. Waxman released a new fact sheet "explaining that the growing incidence of contamination in fresh produce is a symptom of weaknesses in the federal food safety system."
"There are a lot of members interested in food safety right now," said Mr. Guenther, who added that United Fresh has briefed more than 100 offices on the recent outbreaks. "We should tell our story and work cooperatively" on the issue, he said. Produce safety could come up in the farm bill debate. In the Senate, Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), the current Agriculture Committee chair, has been a supporter of specialty crops and, if the Democrats retake the Senate, then Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), an advocate for the fruit and vegetable snack program, could take over as chair. Another produce industry friend, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who coasted to an easy victory, may move to a leadership position and help the industry fight for higher visibility in the upcoming farm bill.
Mr. Guenther said that there is talk that the new leadership may want additional hearings on the farm bill to ensure that all stakeholders have their say, which may delay it. "There is a potential for the farm bill to be pushed back," he said.
Rep. Collin Peterson, a moderate Democrat from Minnesota, is in line to take over the House Agriculture Committee. In interviews with the press, he said that he prefers a farm bill that closely resembles the 2002 bill. Rep. Peterson introduced legislation to extend the bill rather then rewrite it for 2007.
But the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, a national coalition of more than 75 specialty crop grower organizations, is looking for changes in the farm bill and has developed a series of priorities found in the EAT Healthy America Act introduced in September.
One of the industry's allies, Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), who in September was one of the architects of the Eat Healthy America Act, was defeated. Rep. Pombo, chair of the House Resources Committee, was a frequent speaker at United's Washington meetings and an advocate for specialty crop issues.
But before the new Congress takes the helm, lawmakers will need to return during a lame-duck session to sort out spending bills and other priorities. Mr. Guenther said that he was skeptical that Congress would act on immigration reform this year.
"The situation is dire, and we're looking at all options," said Craig Regelbrugge, senior director of government relations for the American Nursery & Landscape Association.
Congress may decide just to pass a continuing resolution and postpone spending and legislative decisions until next year, he said. The change of House leadership is expected to better the chances for agricultural worker reform next year, though chances for comprehensive immigration reform remain complicated, even for a Democrat-controlled House.
There were few surprises in the election results, but there are two ways to read it for House members who voted against comprehensive immigration reform and elected to purse an enforcement-only approach, said Mr. Regelbrugge. "It either hurt them long-term or at best it didn't help them," he said. Vocal champions of the enforcement-only solution, such as Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN), were not re-elected.
The sweeping midterm elections will "certainly represent a change in how we do our work," said Robert Guenther of the United Fresh Produce Association. "We've had 12 years of working with one-party leadership."
He added, "But we're well positioned" because the industry has always reached out to advocates on both sides of the aisle. Mr. Guenther said that United Fresh will be focusing on immigration reform, nutrition, food safety and the 2007 farm bill in the next Congress.
Allies of the produce industry on the House Agriculture Committee, such as Joe Baca (D-CA) and Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), are slated to become leaders there as a result of the power shift. Another friend of the industry, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), is expected to become chair of a powerful House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees spending decisions for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Democrats in Congress have been more likely to support anti-hunger and pro-nutrition legislation, said Kathy Means of the Produce Marketing Association. She said that PMA works with all lawmakers on important issues for the industry.
While Rep. DeLauro has been an advocate for the produce industry's role in boosting the nation's health, the Connecticut lawmaker has expressed concerns about the need to improve food safety and increase regulation of the fruit and vegetable industry.
In September, Rep. DeLauro and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) expressed concern about the amount of time that passed between the first reports of illness and when consumers were notified of the E. coli O157:H7 spinach contamination. Both are advocates of a single food-safety agency and have asked the General Accounting Office to compare response times in the United States with those of countries that have single food-safety agencies.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), who is in line to become chair of the Government Reform Committee, has been outspoken about the need to tighten the safety net. On Nov. 1, Rep. Waxman released a new fact sheet "explaining that the growing incidence of contamination in fresh produce is a symptom of weaknesses in the federal food safety system."
"There are a lot of members interested in food safety right now," said Mr. Guenther, who added that United Fresh has briefed more than 100 offices on the recent outbreaks. "We should tell our story and work cooperatively" on the issue, he said. Produce safety could come up in the farm bill debate. In the Senate, Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), the current Agriculture Committee chair, has been a supporter of specialty crops and, if the Democrats retake the Senate, then Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), an advocate for the fruit and vegetable snack program, could take over as chair. Another produce industry friend, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who coasted to an easy victory, may move to a leadership position and help the industry fight for higher visibility in the upcoming farm bill.
Mr. Guenther said that there is talk that the new leadership may want additional hearings on the farm bill to ensure that all stakeholders have their say, which may delay it. "There is a potential for the farm bill to be pushed back," he said.
Rep. Collin Peterson, a moderate Democrat from Minnesota, is in line to take over the House Agriculture Committee. In interviews with the press, he said that he prefers a farm bill that closely resembles the 2002 bill. Rep. Peterson introduced legislation to extend the bill rather then rewrite it for 2007.
But the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, a national coalition of more than 75 specialty crop grower organizations, is looking for changes in the farm bill and has developed a series of priorities found in the EAT Healthy America Act introduced in September.
One of the industry's allies, Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), who in September was one of the architects of the Eat Healthy America Act, was defeated. Rep. Pombo, chair of the House Resources Committee, was a frequent speaker at United's Washington meetings and an advocate for specialty crop issues.
But before the new Congress takes the helm, lawmakers will need to return during a lame-duck session to sort out spending bills and other priorities. Mr. Guenther said that he was skeptical that Congress would act on immigration reform this year.
"The situation is dire, and we're looking at all options," said Craig Regelbrugge, senior director of government relations for the American Nursery & Landscape Association.
Congress may decide just to pass a continuing resolution and postpone spending and legislative decisions until next year, he said. The change of House leadership is expected to better the chances for agricultural worker reform next year, though chances for comprehensive immigration reform remain complicated, even for a Democrat-controlled House.
There were few surprises in the election results, but there are two ways to read it for House members who voted against comprehensive immigration reform and elected to purse an enforcement-only approach, said Mr. Regelbrugge. "It either hurt them long-term or at best it didn't help them," he said. Vocal champions of the enforcement-only solution, such as Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN), were not re-elected.
