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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 612 POTATO GROWER Reflecting On 2015 and Looking Ahead To 2016 The potato industry focused on sev- eral important public policy priori- ties in 2015. As you saw on the national news it was a difficult year in Congress. Most of the significant decisions on budget and policy were lumped in a giant must-pass Omnibus bill that Congress approved and the President signed in December just before they left town. The potato industry working with our allies in various coalitions and our friends in the House and Senate had our share of victories and some temporary setbacks. While some priorities require more work this year potato growers did achieve victories last year which will pay huge dividends for the grower community. The 2016 Omnibus bill made the Section 179 expensing allowance permanent and extended the bonus depreciation options for three years. Small businesses can now expense rather than depreciate up to 500000 of capital expendi- tures. The bipartisan bill increased NIFA potato breeding research fund- ing which is a significant source of funding for breeding programs in all major production areas. The bill also repealed the country of origin labeling COOL requirements on meat which will prevent Canada and Mexico from imposing retalia- tory tariffs sanctioned by the World Trade Organization. Potatoes and frozen potato products would have been a target in the retaliation had Congress not acted in our favor. During the 114th Congress potato growers commodity groups and our food industry partners launched a major legislative effort to pass a vol- untary federal food labeling bill that would preempt states from imple- menting individual food labeling requirements for GMO or other technology. Without federal law establishing the Food and Drug Administration FDA as the sole authority on food safety and food labeling a patchwork of state label- ing laws will disrupt commerce and send confusing messages to con- sumers. Activist groups bombarded Capitol Hill with emails and calls and placed television ads opposing NPC Messageby John Keeling NPC Executive Vice President and CEO