Congress finally passed the GMO disclosure legislation after one of the most difficult agricultural negotiations ever conducted between Senate Republicans, led by Agri-culture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (KS), and Democrats, led by Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (MI). 

On July 7, the Senate passed the compromise bill by a vote of 63 to 30. Chairman Roberts noted it was the most important piece of legislation in 20 years to come out of the Agriculture Committee.  On July 14, the House passed the Senate bill without amending it by a vote of 306 to 117. The President will sign the bill in July.  Your American Sugarbeet Growers Association played a key leader-ship role in the development and passage of the bill.

What does the bill do and how does it impact the U.S. beet sugar industry?

​​Read our entire issue and back issues. Click here.

The 2016 congressional agenda will be driven by the development and consideration of the 12 appropriations bills that determine how — and how much — money will be spent for all government pro-grams and services in FY 2017, which starts on October 1. While the goal is always to complete all spend-ing bills in the committees and con-sider them separately on the House and Senate floors, it is rarely accomplished. We typically see a short-term continuing resolution (or CR), which means, “Don’t make any changes, just keep doing what you have been doing” because there is no agreement to do anything different, and they run out of time.  Or, we see an omnibus bill that wraps all or most of the 12 bills together and is voted on before Congress departs for Christmas. 

There is a concerted effort to con-sider and pass all 12 bills to show the public that the Republican-con-trolled Congress can, in fact, get its work done in a critically important election year.  There is always skepticism in Washington that this will be accomplished, but we must operate as though it will.  Markups in the Agriculture Appropriations Sub-committee and the full Appropriations Committee always provide an opportunity for policy opponents to put proposals forward to cut USDA funding for employees who implement certain parts of the 2014 farm bill sugar provisions.  Subcommittee and full committee staff and members must be briefed and provided with materials for any debate, and then all House and Senate members and staff need to hear from the industry if a vote on the floor of either body appears likely. 

​Read our entire issue and back issues. Click here.