Congress is MIA—Again

Easter and Passover are past, Christmas and Hanukkah are still far away, and several legislative priorities still need to be addressed, but Congress is M.I.A.— out of town for two weeks—again.

Funding for the Department of Homeland Security, the Farm Bill, and many other items remain in limbo, yet our legislators have skipped town again. Last year Congress was in session for just 79 days, and it looks like they’re aiming for a new record of absenteeism this year.

For WineAmerica it’s an inconvenience as well. We had scheduled dozens of appointments in Congressional offices for our annual “Fly-In” on May 5 & 6. With the Senators and Representatives now gone, it means meeting with staff, which actually is okay because they do the work anyway.

We are very grateful to our members who are traveling from around the country to be in DC so they can inform Congress of the wine industry’s priorities.