Leading conservative groups, including Americans for Tax Reform and Club for Growth, are calling for an end to the federal government's sugar production program.
In a letter to lawmakers sent ahead of next week's farm bill markups, activists said it's time to scrap the program, which restricts sugar imports and maintains a price minimum for the sweetener.
Supporters claim the program protects American jobs and creates stability in the market. The signers of the letter, however, called it "an outdated relic of the 1930s that has outlived its purported usefulness," and claimed that it allows the federal government to look "into its crystal ball and tells producers how much they can grow to meet users’ needs."
"A small number of sugar producers receive enormous benefits, while the costs are spread across the U.S. economy, hitting consumers and the sweetener-using industries," they wrote.
Leaders from Americans for Tax Reform, Club for Growth, Americans for Prosperity, FreedomWorks, the Competitive Enterprise Institute and Taxpayers for Common Sense were among the signers who called for an end to the program's "hidden taxes" on Americans.
The program has been the subject of a heated debate between candy producers, the sugar industry and the legislators who represent those interests.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), the chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released her draft farm bill on Thursday evening. Her version keeps the sugar program in place.
The Senate committee will mark up that measure on Tuesday.
The House Agriculture Committee holds its markup on Wednesday.
The White House is currently reviewing a rule under the sugar program wherein the government buys excess sugar from the market and sells it to ethanol producers.
Written by: Julian Hattem
Original Publication URL: http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/agriculture/299007-conservative-groups-sugar-program-must-go
Discussion
Sign Up for Updates
