Dive Brief:
- While the 2016 presidential election results showed big changes coming, most members of Congressional agriculture committees up for re-election will be returning to Washington, according to Food Business News.
- Six members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, six members were up for re-election, and all six won. Other committee members, such as committee chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), were not up for re-election this term.
- Of the 45 members of the House Committee on Agriculture, 41 faced re-election this year. Voters re-elected all but one, Rep. Brad Ashford (D-NE). A few current members, both Republican and Democrat, did not seek re-election.
Dive Insight:
It's not uncommon for elections to shuffle around members of Congress. But given the reaction to the presidential election, consumers may have paid less attention to the GOP-dominated House and Senate. With this political party's pro-business tendencies, manufacturers may benefit with more flexibility and influence in policy and economical changes, while consumer groups may not have as warm of a reception.
This election might suggest significant policy changes overall. But with most of the membership of Congressional committees overseeing the legislation dealing with oversight of the food and beverage industry returning for another term, the makeup of those committees may not change too much. And as both houses of Congress kept their GOP majority, committee leadership will stay in the hands of Republicans. This could provide some continuity for manufacturers. Lobbyists working on their behalf, particularly from industry associations like the Grocery Manufacturers Association or American Beverage Association, may also remain relatively unchanged.
It's also notable that a Republican-majority Congress passed a bipartisan GMO labeling bill and has overseen the early implementation of FSMA. That could mean more reaching out across the political party aisle during the 115th Congress in terms of policy updates or new changes.