ABSTRACT
This chapter considers three sugar-related amendments to the 1990 and 1985 farm bills. The first, a 1990 House amendment to lower the loan rate for sugar from 18 cents per pound to 16 cents per pound through fiscal 1995 was defeated 150 to 271. The second, a Senate motion to kill an amendment containing the same loan rate reduction was agreed upon 54 to 44. The third, a 1985 House amendment to lower the loan rate by 1 cent per year until it reached 15 cents per pound, considered for purposes of historical comparison, was defeated 142 to 263. The success of the US sugar industry in securing a high degree of protection is attributed to political factors. By quantifying effectiveness of pro- and anti-sugar lobbying, it should be possible to gauge the sources and amount of political pressure necessary to reverse observed voting outcomes and bring US sugar policy more into line with General Agreement on Tariffs and Tradestipulations.
