WSWA, NBWA, Others Celebrate Creation of Congressional 21st Amendment Caucus
Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), American Beverage Licensees (ABL), American Distilled Spirits Alliance (ADSA) and National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) celebrated the creation of the Congressional 21st Amendment Caucus.
Chaired by Reps. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) and Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev), the Congressional 21st Amendment Caucus will focus on the importance of maintaining effective, state-based alcohol regulation for American consumers and the marketplace.
The caucus will educate members of Congress and their staffs on the importance these regulations as well as the role of licensed alcohol businesses in collecting taxes, supporting public health priorities, and creating and maintaining a competitive, safe and efficient market. At a time when special interests are seeking to change or weaken these regulations, the caucus will work to protect the successful alcohol regulatory system that has well served the American public for 90 years.
“America has the most vibrant wine and spirits marketplace in the world, in large part due to the current, robust alcohol regulatory system,” said WSWA President and CEO Francis Creighton. “The 21st Amendment Caucus will help maintain this tried-and-true system and push back against misguided efforts that will eliminate choices for American consumers and threaten
the integrity and safety of the American marketplace. The Congressional 21st Amendment Caucus will help ensure that our system of robust regulation is not dismantled at the expense of safety and the American consumer.”
“America’s bars, taverns and package liquor stores owe their very existence to the 21st Amendment and are thrilled to see members of Congress organizing to make sure that we don’t repeat the failed experiment of Prohibition,” said ABL Executive Director John Bodnovich. “We’re excited to support the creation of the 21st Amendment Caucus and further discussing the important role all three tiers of the beverage alcohol industry play in the American economy.”
“ADSA member companies have long believed that our existing regulatory structure supports an orderly marketplace that promotes healthy competition in the spirits industry,” said Matt Dogali, President
and CEO of ADSA. “We are proud to be involved in this event and look forward to supporting the 21st Amendment Caucus’s future efforts.”
“Ninety years ago today, the United States ratified the 21st
Amendment, ending Prohibition, giving states the authority to regulate alcohol and helping give rise to the today’s thriving, safe and competitive alcohol industry,” said Craig Purser, President and CEO of NBWA. “This new caucus will educate policymakers about
the importance of the alcohol industry’s effectively regulated chain of custody, which keeps consumers safe and promotes competition and variety while ensuring revenue is collected in the form of excise and sales taxes. America’s beer and beverage distributors thank Reps. Bice and Lee for their leadership on this important issue.”