Congressional baking caucus is now in the works

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Congressional baking caucus is now in the works

21 Nov 2023

Joanie Spencer

Since 2008, Joanie Spencer has covered the retail and wholesale sides of the baking industry.
Serving associations such as the American Society of Baking (ASB) and BEMA, Joanie is also in demand as an industry presenter on bakery operations and trends. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Rockhurst University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.

When she’s not running or playing soccer, Joanie spends her time with her husband and 11-year-old son.

WASHINGTON DC — In the commercial baking industry, public policy advocacy is a critical factor for keeping the industry moving forward. It’s a pillar for the American Bakers Association (ABA), which hosted the Bakers Fly-In and Policy Summit in partnership with the American Society of Baking (ASB) and the Retail Bakers of America (RBA) Nov. 13-15 in Washington, DC.

As part of its ongoing advocacy efforts, ABA announced at the summit that it is exploring the formation of a bipartisan congressional baking caucus to create increased awareness — and support — of the biggest issues facing the industry.

“The purpose of a caucus is to join members of Congress — from the Republican and Democrat sides — who support the baking industry and what we stand for,” said Eric Dell, ABA president and CEO. “This helps us identify who our friends are, and it allows us to educate them more easily than using a broad-brush approach with different offices.”

During Capitol Hill visits on Nov. 14, nearly 80 Fly-In attendees spent the day visiting the offices of senators and members of the House of Representatives. In those meetings, they advocated for issues including labor and tax incentives for capital investments and extended invitations to join the caucus.

“Getting attention from staffers and members of Congress is tough,” Dell said. “There’s always something going on, and it can be difficult to get them to pay attention. The relationships we’re building can take years. But when we keep going back and educating them, one-on-one conversations can help them understand our industry and how it works.”

Currently, there are more than 150 Congressional caucuses supporting specific countries or industries and that focus on a variety of issues. These groups allow members of Congress — often from the House of Representatives — to dig into issues or topics that are important to them.

“The relationships we’re building can take years. But when we keep going back and educating them, one-on-one conversations can help them understand our industry and how it works.” — Eric Dell | president and CEO | American Bakers Association

Once enough members of Congress have expressed interest in joining and the co-chairs, usually one from each party, are identified, ABA will name the caucus, and the co-chairs will present it to the House of Representatives for approval.

“The importance of the caucus is not only to identify those members of Congress who support us but also educate them and their staff about the issues affecting the baking industry,” Dell said.

Once the congressional caucus is officially formed, the co-chairs have the opportunity to develop educational events for staff throughout the year.

“We can then take our members to Congress and host listening sessions about important issues,” Dell added. “It gives us a great opportunity to regularly educate them on our industry.”

Although the plan is in its infancy, the Fly-In hosted more than a dozen advocacy meetings, garnering interest from several senators and representatives. With a timeline of six to eight months, ABA hopes to have the caucus in place for the next Congressional session.

For more information on the caucus and ABA’s advocacy efforts, visit the ABA website.

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