How D.C. Has Changed

How D.C. Has Changed. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Even though President Obama retained his office during the 2012 election, Nancy Foster, President of U.S. Apple Association says there has been some changes in the political landscape in Washington D.C.

FOSTER: It was the most expensive in history from the campaign, the parties. But super pacs. First year of the major, major super pacs. What was the result? Really a status quo with the Democrats in control of the Senate, Republicans control the House. But there was a very strong voter mandate. People are tired of the fighting. They’re tired of the lack of agreement and they’re tired of the gridlock. Why do we send these people to Congress if they can’t get things done.

Foster says time will tell as to whether we will see a change.

FOSTER: So there’s good news and bad news out of this. Many of our apple friends returned to Congress. However the Obama administration had a lot of regulations just sitting there ready to be released. They didn’t want to put them out before the elections. And so we’re going to be seeing regulations coming out, a lot of them in the next 3, 4, 5 months.

But she says that some of them are very positive like the immigration reform that is currently being talked about.

FOSTER: I feel more optimistic that I’ve felt in the last 5-7 years. Because you’re got Republicans who are scratching their heads over this issue because they know what a liability it carried during the elections and then you’ve got Democrats who are very strongly supportive.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.