RE “Don’t exempt cranberry juice from rules on sugary drinks” (Editorial, June 28): When I cofounded the cranberry caucus in Congress, the number one priority in my mind was protecting Massachusetts jobs. Our iconic cranberry industry is being threatened by Washington with excessive and unfair regulatory burdens. As our economy continues to struggle, this should not be happening to our businesses and their hard-working employees.
Recent proposals to promote healthier lifestyles, while well intentioned, have wrongly lumped cranberry drinks together with soda and other sugary products that do not have the same health benefits found in cranberries, such as the potential to fight infections and other diseases.
The bottom line for our state is that about 5,000 jobs in the cranberry industry are on the line. We have roughly 615 cranberry farms, with good people working every day to deliver high-quality, nutritious products around the country. I’m going to work to keep those people on the job and reject broad regulations that unfairly target Massachusetts’ products.