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Wine & Agriculture

California's Fourth Congressional District is a world-renowned food and wine destination because of our vibrant agricultural and viticultural heritage.  Wine is the largest economic driver in our district. It employees tens of thousands of people, generates billions in economic revenue, and powers our local economy through tourism. As an organic grape grower myself, I'm fully committed to protecting and strengthening our farming and ranching communities.

When I was first elected to Congress, I co-founded the Congressional Wine Caucus with former Congressman George Radanovich in 1999. The Caucus is a coalition of over 100 bipartisan, bicameral Members of Congress dedicated to educating our colleagues about issues affecting our nation's wine community and advancing legislation to address these priorities. Today, I serve as Co-Chair with Congressman Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4). Issues we've tackled include:

  • Passing legislation to conserve and protect vineyards and open spaces
  • Creating the titles in the Farm Bill that address specialty and organic crops
  • Advocating for viticulture research and management funding
  • Combating the European Grapevine Moth and the Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
  • Fighting for fair market access for our wines in foreign markets
  • Protecting access to the Customs Duty Drawback program
  • Enacting and extending bipartisan legislation to modernize the Wine Excise Tax
  • Recognizing the value and contributions of American wines and grapegrowing regions

I'm also working to ensure our varied farming and ranching communities continue to thrive. That's why I've voted for legislation to help farmers cope with uncertainty, help families put quality food on the table and help maintain our rural landscapes for generations to come by:

  • Providing emergency drought and wildfire damage relief
  • Creating a safety net for farmers and ranchers impacted by forces beyond their control
  • Supporting local family farmers
  • Securing research funding to combat crop diseases and invasive species
  • Providing nutrition assistance to children and families
  • Improving nutrition and food safety standards
  • Fostering conservation efforts on agricultural land to ensure sustainably healthy landscapes that benefit all users
  • Promoting local and regional farms and food systems
  • Supporting programs to measure and reduce food waste

Our district is also home to UC Davis, a world class institution of higher education and a major research facility that is a leader in agricultural innovation. The UC Davis community works to support local agriculture and address real-world problems facing our agricultural community.

I am also working to ensure that the needs of our district are included in the upcoming Farm Bill. This legislation, which is passed every five years, sets the nation’s agricultural policy and has significant impacts on issues ranging from nutrition to conservation.