U.S. Representatives Jill Tokuda (D-HI) and William Timmons (R-SC) yesterday launched the Congressional Coffee Caucus, a first-of-its-kind caucus supporting the coffee industry.
The Congressional Caucus, which has been months in the making, comes as the coffee industry is facing an unprecedented threat of higher prices due to the United States’ own tariffs on foreign goods.
Hawaii and Puerto Rico, the U.S. regions in which coffee is grown on a commercial scale, represent less than one-half of 1% of the world’s green coffee production, meaning the coffee industry is almost entirely reliant on imports of green coffee beans. Last week, President Donald Trump’s sweeping “reciprocal tariffs” announcement targeted 15 of the world’s top 20 coffee-producing countries with new tariffs.
Press announcements from the offices of Tokuda and Timmons did not address the current economic pressures facing coffee. Yet both Representatives said the goal of the caucus is to unite Congresspeople in supporting the resiliency of the global coffee supply chain, support coffee’s economic impacts in the U.S., and promote coffee’s perceived health benefits.
“Coffee is more than just a daily ritual — it’s a vital pillar of our economy, supporting millions of farmers, businesses, and communities across the country,” Tokuda said in an announcement of the caucus launch. “From the fields in my home state of Hawaii, to the roasteries and manufacturing plants in South Carolina and Vermont, coffee is consumed and enjoyed in every congressional district in the nation.”
The National Coffee Association (NCA) of the U.S. — a trade group representing many of the country’s largest roasting, trading and coffee-allied companies — applauded the caucus launch.
“With two-thirds of American adults drinking coffee each day, NCA is proud to see Congressional leaders sharing the joy of coffee and kicking off this historic effort to recognize coffee as a touchstone in Americans’ daily lives and a huge driver of economic value in every U.S. state and territory,” NCA President and CEO William “Bill” Murray said.
Inaugural members of the Congressional Coffee Caucus include: Co-Chair Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Co-Chair William Timmons (R-SC), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Derek Tran (D-CA), Ed Case (D-HI), Max Miller (R-OH), Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Sarah McBride (D-DE), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Mark Green (R-TN), Laura Friedman (D-CA), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Becca Balint (D-VT), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), and Maxine Dexter (D-OR).
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