WASHINGTON -- The price support system for sugar survived another challenge Wednesday when the Senate rejected an amendment, 54-45, that would have phased out the program. Before the vote, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., told colleagues that the program, which sets a 22.9-cents-per-pound minimum price for sugar, protects some 142,000 jobs in 22 states, including 12,000 In Louisiana. "If you...
WASHINGTON -- The price support system for sugar survived another challenge Wednesday when the Senate rejected an amendment, 54-45, that would have phased out the program.
Before the vote, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., told colleagues that the program, which sets a 22.9-cents-per-pound minimum price for sugar, protects some 142,000 jobs in 22 states, including 12,000 In Louisiana.
"If you want to preserve jobs, vote against the (Jeanne) Shaheen-(Pat) Toomey) amendment," Landrieu said. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., also opposed the amendment.
Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, called the sugar program a "sweet deal" for the sugar industry and "a bad deal for consumers." Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican, said the sugar program inflates the price of sugar by about 30 percent. Both senators said it eliminates three jobs for every sugar job it saves.
But supporters of the program, which limits low-cost sugar imports, said the cost is modest, two percent to the cost of a candy bar and one percent for a cupcake..
The sugar amendment was proposed to be added to farm legislation now before the Senate. It pitted two politically active businesses -- the candy industry and sugar producers -- both of whom are major contributors to congressional campaigns.