IDFA decided earlier this year that scheduling a few smaller, strategically timed fly-ins to Washington, D.C., during the year rather than one annual fly-in would allow the association to more strategically deploy its greatest policy asset – dairy executives – on a series of issue-focused visits with high-level administration officials and key members of Congress. IDFA’s legislative team identified the right opportunity earlier this month, allowing a small group of dairy executives to attend targeted meetings with high-level members of the Trump Administration and Congressional leaders.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, a team of IDFA’s executive committee members, board officers and top PAC contributors joined staff members in meetings with the following people:

  • Andrew Bremberg, assistant to the President and director of the Domestic Policy Council for President Trump;
  • Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, U.S. Trade Representative who will oversee the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, as well as other bilateral trade agreements that would be a benefit to U.S. dairy companies;
  • Eric Branstad, senior White House advisor who works at the Department of Commerce under Secretary Wilbur Ross.
  • Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), speaker of the House of Representatives;
  • Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry;
  • Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry;
  • Rep. Michael Conaway (R-TX), chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture;
  • Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), ranking member of the House Committee on Agriculture; and
  • Rep. Glenn “G.T.” Thompson (R-PA), co-sponsor of the School Milk Nutrition Act.

Highlights from the visits are available here.

IDFA DC-0518

The IDFA group with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (center).

For more information, contact Dave Carlin, IDFA senior vice president of legislative affairs and economic policy, at dcarlin@idfa.org.