Political Quotes

“America has a long and rich tradition with beer. Many of America's Founding Fathers--including Sam Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and James Madison--who attempted to establish a ``Secretary of Beer'' as part of the new nation--were all avid small brewers. Thomas Jefferson built a brewery in his kitchen at Monticello and Benjamin Franklin famously wrote that ``Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.'' I have the distinction of serving as a representative from the state of Oregon, which is one of the most enlightened states when it comes to beer. Oregon craft beer represents 3.8 percent of the total volume of beer brewed in the U.S. Oregon is the second largest producer of hops in the country and the birthplace of the Willamette hop, giving us the IPA and now, the Cascade IPA. The city I represent, Portland, has 33 breweries, more per capita than any city in the world. These breweries provide an economic boost of over $2.3 billion to the region, promote local agriculture and provide opportunities for social interaction within the community. Most importantly, the craft brew industry is an engine of job creation. America has over 1500 small brewers. The small brewers in my state employ more than 4,700 individuals while struggling with the higher costs for production, raw materials, and packaging than their larger and in many cases foreign owned competitors.”