Ted Poe: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. Food and candy opponents of U.S. sugar policy would like to expose American sugar…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Food and candy opponents of U.S. sugar policy would like to expose American sugar farmers to distorted world market for sugar. But the United States sugar growers are already exposed. Mexico has unlimited access to the United States market. One thing that hasn't been said: 20 percent of the Mexican sugar industry is owned by the Mexican Government. Mexico owns and operates its sugar industry, which is five times larger than the Texas sugar- producing industry. As this chart shows, since 2008, Mexico has gotten unlimited access to the United States sugar market, and, in fact, the prices of sugar are the same prices as they were in the 1980s. My friends on both sides that propose this amendment say that we need a more free market. The United States cannot unilaterally disarm. That jeopardizes 142,000 jobs and leaves us dependent on the Brazilian and Mexican food industry that is run by the Mexican Government. This amendment does not promote free trade or free market; it promotes a government-run industry from Mexico and Brazil.”