Food safety, immigration may be Obama’s top issues

By Tom Karst

ThePacker

Nov. 7, 2008

Immigration and food safety may be among the first issues up for the Democrat-heavy 111th Congress, industry lobbyists said in early November.

Child nutrition reauthorization and legislation making it easier for unions to organize may be close behind, fresh produce industry leaders speculated.

“It is clear that the people of this country want to move in another direction, and there is a lot of hope things will be improved,” said Tom Nassif, president of Irvine, Calif.-based Western Growers. “We have to hope and pray that President-elect Obama will put together the kind of team that is capable of taking this country back to where it was.”

Upcoming issues

“I think immigration and food safety are probably the two issues that could generate the most attention in the year coming up,” said Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy for the United Fresh Produce Association, Washington, D.C.

“There is certainly interest on the Hill in both (immigration and food safety),” said Tom O’Brien, Washington, D.C.-based lobbyist for the Produce Marketing Association, Newark, Del., on Nov. 6. “Do they wait for the administration to catch up and get their people in place or do they drive the agenda? I don’t know if we know just yet.”

Nassif said he is concerned Congress will take up the so-called card check legislation that would deny the secret ballot to workers at companies where unions are seeking to organize. He said defeating card check legislation is a top priority for Western Growers.

Nassif said he has heard from Washington sources that comprehensive immigration reform may not be taken up quickly by the Obama administration. Still, Nassif expressed hope that AgJobs legislation could be moved separately if Congress doesn’t move on comprehensive legislation.

One potentially significant development on the House Energy and Commerce Committee was news that Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is challenging current chairman Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., for leadership of the committee.

Waxman said Nov. 5 that he is better equipped than Dingell to deliver effective legislation on energy, climate and health care.

If Waxman successfully challenges Dingell’s leadership, food safety would have a different face in the 111th Congress, said Ron Gaskill, spokesman for the American Farm Bureau Federation, Washington, D.C.

“Some of the things the industry has done, particularly in the area of fruits and vegetables, to stay ahead of the curve and diminish the need for any kind of regulatory environment — I don’t know if that would be received as well under Waxman’s chairmanship,” Gaskill said.

“Waxman is much, much, much more liberal,” said Laura Phelps, president of the American Mushroom Institute, Washington, D.C.

Guenther said Congress is likely to focus on the economy for the first few months of the Obama administration, with other issues being taken up by late spring or early summer.

O’Brien said budget pressures will mean the produce industry will be put in a position to fight to retain mandatory funding allocated in the farm bill.

“The fruit and vegetable industry needs to protect the gains made in the farm bill to provide mandatory funding for things like the block grants and pest programs,” he said.

“Appropriations will be huge,” Gaskill said.

“I’d be real concerned about what any (presidential) administration is going to do with regard to cutting agricultural programs for the purposes of trying to balance the budget at some point,” Gaskill said.

He said cuts could occur very early, as the current appropriation resolution only goes through the end of March. He said the agricultural appropriations bill may face more scrutiny early next year. “(Cuts) are clearly going to be in play,” he said.

Although Western Growers supported McCain for president, Nassif said the organization also has worked well with many Democrats.

“Our relationships with many Democrats are very close, and they were very helpful in the specialty crop industry achieving what we started when we passed the Specialty Crop Competitiveness Act in 2004,” he said.

Notes about Nov. 4:

· As of Nov. 6, Democrats held a projected 57-40 majority in the Senate, with three races undecided. One of the undecided races involves Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Democrat Jim Martin. That contest may be headed for a runoff on Dec. 2.

In addition, Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., lost a close battle with Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley. “Both (Smith and Chambliss) have been very good friends to the specialty crop industry for a long time,” said Guenther.

· Democrats gained a projected 20 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, now holding a majority of about 260 compared with 175 seats held by Republicans.

· Former Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, R-Neb., won election to the U.S. Senate, beating newcomer Scott Kleep to keep the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Republican Chuck Hagel.

· Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla., has said he will not run for re-election to the Republican leadership. Putnam has been a strong supporter of the specialty crop industry and lobbyists said his decision to not seek another term as conference chairman for the Republican Party will diminish his influence some.

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