In its role as the voice of the floral industry, SAF attended events in support of Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Mike Conaway (R-TX).

Rep. Panetta is a strong supporter and friend of the floriculture industry and spoke to SAF members at Congressional Action Days (CAD) in 2018.

Rep. Jimmy Panetta represents the central coast of California which includes a large number of flower growers and members of SAF. Growing up in that area on a small walnut ranch, Rep. Panetta understands the needs of specialty crop growers.

He is a member of the House Agriculture Committee, and its subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research. He also serves on the House Ways & Means Committee which writes tax policy. Panetta is the founder and co-chair of the Agricultural Research Caucus and is the co-chair of the Congressional Cut Flower Caucus.

Rep. Conaway is the highest-ranking Republican member of the House Agriculture Committee. During the last Congress, he was chairman of that committee and was key in writing the 2018 Farm Bill and shepherding it through Congress and into law. That legislation included provisions important to the floriculture industry.

The House Agriculture has jurisdiction the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its programs including the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative (FNRI), the Floriculture Crops Report, both of which were taken to the Hill during CAD, and the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI).

In supporting members of Congress who support the floriculture industry, SAF through SAFPAC, its political action committee, works to ensure that friends of the industry are elected to Congress and that the industry wields influence in Washington, DC.

SAFPAC is the only political action committee actively working in Washington to promote and protect the floriculture industry.

For more information about SAFPAC and how to obtain more information and how to get involved contact Shawn McBurney at smcburney@safnow.org.