Policy Prespectives

DC Updates

I voted, and I hope you will, too. It’s a right, privilege and responsibility we have as Americans to help shape our own future. Tuesday is election day, finally, after months of political fighting.

No one has a crystal ball, but WineAmerica’s Michael Kaiser recently wrote an informative piece for Wine Industry Advisor about the implications for our industry of a Harris or Trump presidency. Regardless of the election’s outcome, it will be interesting to read it a year from now.

Meanwhile, Michael stays busy on a daily basis tracking developments associated with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) process in Washington, which has not been halted or slowed by the election frenzy. Long story short, this process could have a major impact on the wine industry, and to date, it has been highly suspect in terms of a lack of transparency, apparent bias, and questionable “science”. WineAmerica is working with other beverage associations and legislators to advocate for appropriate changes.

The bipartisan Congressional Wine Caucus (CWC), co-chaired by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA), orchestrated a letter signed by over 100 House members detailing the current problems and requesting a pause in the DGA process. It’s the latest reminder that the CWC always has our back, as I describe in this article in Wine Industry Advisor.