(Washington, D.C.) – In a June 4, 1997, letter to Congress, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) reiterated its strong opposition to the Department of Agriculture’s sugar program.  The letter was issued in response to claims by the U.S. Sugar Corporation that CCAGW has dropped out of the Coalition for Sugar Reform, a bipartisan group dedicated to reforming sugar subsidies.

In a recent news release, U.S. Sugar alleges that the Coalition for Sugar Reform has “collapsed,” and that CCAGW and other interested parties have “dropped out” of the coalition.

In his response to the release, CCAGW President Thomas A. Schatz set the record straight.  “It is no surprise that the sugar cartel finds it necessary to resort to deception in a desperate effort to defend one of the biggest frauds perpetrated on the American people,” writes Schatz.  “We believe as strongly as ever that the sugar program needs to be reformed.”

Schatz also cited CCAGW’s struggle to include meaningful sugar subsidy reform in the 1996 Farm Bill, and derided U.S. Sugar’s contention that the farm bill “reforms” require additional time to work.  “Congress’ failure to provide any significant reform of the sugar and peanut programs was a colossal disappointment,” Schatz stated.  “The truth is that virtually nothing about the archaic sugar program has been reformed.”

Schatz concluded his letter by urging members of Congress to make sugar subsidy reform a priority in 1997.  “Don’t be fooled by the sugar cartel and their lies – the program hasn’t changed,” Schatz remarked.  “Congress ought to find an opportunity this year to correct the mistake made in the farm bill.”

CCAGW is a 600,000-member lobbying organization dedicated to seeking enactment of legislation to eliminate waste, inefficiency, mismanagement and abuse in the federal government.  For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact Jim Campi or John Frydenlund at (202) 467-5300.