Today, the Coalition for Sugar Reform announced that National Taxpayers Union (NTU) has joined its efforts to work with Congress to reform the U.S. sugar program.
“We are pleased to welcome the National Taxpayers Union to our Coalition. America’s broken sugar policy amounts to a tax on U.S. consumers and businesses of all sizes,” said John Downs, Jr., Chairman of the Coalition for Sugar Reform and President and CEO of the National Confectioners Association. “As we continue advocating for reform of the sugar program, we are glad to have another ally in our advocacy efforts.”
“National Taxpayers Union prides itself on giving the American taxpayer an effective voice in Washington every day. Unfortunately, when it comes to sugar policy, Congress has too often ignored that voice and instead crafted polices that benefit special interests at the expense of families and the businesses that serve them,” said NTU President Pete Sepp. “NTU is thrilled to join the Coalition for Sugar Reform and to be an active part of its vital advocacy on behalf of taxpayers and free enterprise.”
Through a series of marketing allotments, import quotas and price supports, U.S. sugar policy benefits one, small special interest group, while American consumers, taxpayers and businesses foot the bill – not only in higher costs, but in lost jobs as well. The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that for every sugar-growing job saved through government-mandated high U.S. sugar prices, approximately three American manufacturing jobs are lost. In addition, the sugar program costs U.S. consumers and businesses up to $3.5 billion annually.
Learn more about U.S. sugar policy and why reform is long overdue to protect the nation’s consumers, food manufacturers and small businesses at www.SugarReform.org.