Dianne Feinstein: “I offer this amendment to update and somewhat improve the so-called sugar program. The sugar subsidy program has been…”

“I offer this amendment to update and somewhat improve the so-called sugar program. The sugar subsidy program has been driving the domestic cane refinery industry out of existence, and it has eliminated thousands of good jobs. This amendment helps strike a new balance between saving our Nation's domestic refinery jobs and protecting sugar producers from foreign competition. What this amendment does is ensure that the amount of sugar allowed to come into the United States actually makes it to the market. The amendment would reallocate the unfilled portion of a country's quota when that country doesn't fill its quota, which happens almost annually. The Secretary of Agriculture does have the ability under present law to reallocate the quota, but it is a fight every year for domestic refineries to get enough sugar to refine, and it is also a fight to get the Secretary--regardless of whether it is a Democratic or Republican administration--to make this reallocation. The amendment would allow refineries to obtain more sugar under the quota by taking some allocation from nations not exporting as much sugar as they are allowed and giving it to nations that would export more sugar to the United States.”