Response to Sugar Votes

While the amendment to end 2008 Farm Bill provisions that made the sugar program more generous was rejected - the Senate did adopt an amendment that would change USDA's sugar tariff rate quota decision from April 1st to February 1st. The American Sugar Alliance did not comment on the latter - but says the sugar program reform would have stripped USDA of the tools it needs to operate sugar policy at no cost to taxpayers and led to chronic oversupplies of sugar on the U.S. market. While disappointed in the vote - the Coalition for Sugar Reform noted the vote was the closest in the Senate in decades. The group said the House - in committee and on the floor - now has an opportunity to build on the widespread support for reform and allow open debate on the costs of the sugar program and the merits of reform.

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