Rep. Bob Goodlatte at a news conference about the sugar bill.

When you serve on the House Agriculture Committee, as Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County, does, you wind up dealing with some food-related bills.

Here’s a release from his office today about the “Sugar Reform Act.” Not something we’re intimately familiar with, though we do love sugar in our tea.

Here’s what the congressman has to say:

Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement regarding the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral Sugar Reform Act yesterday:

“Artificially inflated sugar prices created by the government’s failed sugar program result in increased operating costs for businesses and higher grocery bills for families,” said Congressman Goodlatte. “The American sugar program constitutes an almost unbelievable government intrusion into private business decisions and demands real reform. This command and control government mandate threatens the competitiveness of American food manufacturers, like McKee Foods in Stuarts Draft or Flowers Bakery in Lynchburg, and costs consumers and businesses an estimated $3.5 billion and 20,000 jobs each year. The Sugar Reform Act provides real relief for businesses and consumers from burdensome government mandates. I’ve long been a supporter of this type of agricultural reform and urge my colleagues on both sides of the Capitol to act on this much-needed legislation to reform a costly program for consumers and support American small businesses and families.”