October 13, 2008

ISSUE 1240

Congress failed to pass a bill backed by U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston and others seeking $100 million in emergency financial assistance for the tomato industry in response to losses suffered during the recent salmonella outbreak.

An attempt to add the assistance into the larger Congressional Appropriations bill failed because of resistance from senators who have been critical of Florida tomato growers’ response to the Coalition of Immokalee Farmworkers’ penny-per-pound proposal.