{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2025/11/06/slotkin-collins-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-americas-farmers-and-end-unfair-trade-practices/", "Slotkin, Collins Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect America\u2019s Farmers and End Unfair Trade Practices", "2025-11-06", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MI", "Elissa Slotkin", "S001208", "www.slotkin.senate.gov", "slotkin", "https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) today introduced the Fairness for Fruits and Vegetables Act alongside her colleague Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) in a strong show of bipartisan support for American farmers and specialty crops. The bill adds more mechanisms to address unfair trade practices and prevent American specialty crop producers from being undercut.\n\nThe bill creates an interagency working group between USDA, USTR, Commerce, and other federal agencies to monitor the trade data for seasonal and perishable fruits and vegetables needed to level the playing field for American producers. As a result, this bill provides a body for producers and trade associations to give input to on unfair trade practices.\n\n\u201cOur food supply is nothing without our specialty crops, like blueberries, cherries, and asparagus, so many of which are grown in Michigan. Specialty crop producers across the country are essential to feeding both our nation and the world,\u201d said Senator Slotkin. \u201cBecause these crops face unique challenges, they deserve policies tailored to their realities. This legislation and new working group will strengthen connections and coordination between federal agencies and ensure specialty crop producers are getting a fair deal.\u201d\n\n\u201cFrom wild blueberry and potato growers to apple and maple syrup producers, Maine\u2019s specialty crop farmers contribute enormously to our state\u2019s economy and culture,\u201d said Senator Collins. \u201cThis bipartisan legislation would instruct federal agencies to work together to monitor and address unfair trade practices that disadvantage these industries. By improving coordination and oversight, our bill would help protect farmers who produce specialty crops from the market disruptions that threaten their livelihoods.\u201d\n\nGreg Bird, Executive Director of the Michigan Vegetable Council: \u201cSeasonal and perishable fruits and vegetables are so drastically different from other items of trade that they must be regulated using their own microscope. The industries cannot afford to spend industry dollars in courts each time an unfair practice is identified. This new workgroup will educate our lawmakers on the needs of the industry and then bridges gaps between the industry, USDA, Commerce, and USTR. The vegetable industry applauds this effort trying to make our country\u2019s policies function for feeding our country and the world.\u201d\n\nJamie Clover Adams, CEO of the Michigan Asparagus Association: \u201cFor more than a decade, Michigan\u2019s asparagus growers have faced intense pressure from surges of imported product entering the U.S. market just as our short harvest window begins,\u201d said Jamie Clover Adams, CEO of the Michigan Asparagus Association. \u201cThis legislation rightly elevates the needs of seasonal and perishable crops like asparagus and ensures the federal government is actively monitoring seasonal imports, assessing risks, and coordinating a response when American specialty crop producers are threatened. We appreciate Senator Slotkin\u2019s leadership and strongly support this bill to help keep Michigan asparagus farms competitive and thriving.\u201d\n\nBob Thompson, President of Michigan Farmers Union: \u201cWhile currently serving as president of the Michigan Farmers Union, as a former USDA official with over 30 years of experience, I can say with confidence that all too often turf issues between agencies and departments arise. All too often this leaves our family farmers, particularly those producing seasonal and perishable fruits and vegetables, bearing the brunt of total inaction or inadequate, poorly thought-out decisions. Creation of this proposed working group, that requires actually talking and listening to one another, has the potential to allow development of sound, common sense policies beneficial for all stakeholders. Michigan Farmers Union commends Senator Slotkin, and her colleagues, for raising this issue and fully endorse swift enactment.\u201d\n\nAmy Cohn, President of the Cherry Marketing Institute: \u201cThe Cherry Marketing Institute strongly supports the Fairness for Fruits and Vegetables Act as a vital step toward ensuring the long-term viability of America\u2019s tart cherry farmers. By improving the assessment and monitoring of fruit imports, this legislation helps illuminate the challenges facing U.S. producers and advances more equitable, data-driven solutions. We applaud this effort to protect the livelihoods of domestic farmers who work tirelessly to deliver high-quality tart cherries to communities across the country.\u201d\n\nChad Rendeers, President of the Michigan Blueberry Advisory Committee: \u201cThe Michigan Blueberry Advisory Committee (MBBAC) proudly endorses Senator Slotkin\u2019s Bill for an Interagency Seasonal and Perishable Fruits and Vegetable Working Group. This bill will help create a sustainable market value to our Michigan Growers during their harvest. For many years, our American Farmers have had to compete against foreign fruit in our market space with no transparency on how it lowers the value of our commodities during our season. This Bill will create opportunities to protect our Michigan and American Growers. \u201c\n\nBen LaCross, President of the Michigan Farm Bureau: \u201cWe know American farmers can compete with anyone if there\u2019s a level playing field, and we appreciate Senator Slotkin\u2019s continued attention to the challenges our state\u2019s fruit and vegetable growers are facing,\u201d said Michigan Farm Bureau President Ben LaCross. \u201cWe applaud this bipartisan effort and look forward to seeing how it could yield new tools to support Michigan farmers.\u201d\n\nRead the full text of the bill here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2025/11/06/slotkin-collins-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-americas-farmers-and-end-unfair-trade-practices/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6886498779058456, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}