Sen. Ron Wyden appointed co-chair of Small Brewers Caucus, Brewers Association comments

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR.) has been named co-chair of the Senate Bipartisan Small Brewers Caucus, which includes 20 members of the Senate from 14 states.

“With 161 brewing companies in Oregon employing 6,400 full- and part-time employees, the small brewers are an important part of the Oregon economy,” Wyden said. “Leading this caucus with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) at a time when small breweries are becoming a part of communities across the nation is an opportunity to make all members of Congress aware of the how breweries are becoming an important part of the national economy as well.”

The Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American craft brewers, issued the following statement regarding Wyden’s appointment:

“The more than 2,900 craft breweries in the U.S. play a significant role in our national economy, providing more than 108,440 jobs and making a $34 billion economic impact on the country. The Senate Bipartisan Small Brewers Caucus is a critical forum to address key issues facing these small and independent businesses. The Brewers Association congratulates Senator Wyden on his new role as co-chair of the Small Brewers Caucus. We look forward to working with Senator Wyden, as well as all the members of the Small Brewers Caucus, on matters of great consequence to the growing community of American craft brewers.”

The Senate Bipartisan Small Brewers Caucus was founded by former Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) in June 2011. Mirroring the House Small Brewers Caucus (formed in 2007), the Senate Bipartisan Small Brewers Caucus provides a forum for members of the Senate and their staffs to discuss the issues important to small brewers while exploring what lawmakers can do to strengthen the growth and role of these small businesses in local economies across the country.

The caucus also provides opportunities for Senators and staff to learn about the science and art of brewing beer, and the unique cultural and economic contributions made by small brewers to their communities.

Other members include, Mark Begich (D) and Lisa Murkowski (R) of Alaska; Michael Bennet (D) and Mark Udall (D) of Colorado; Thomas Carper (D) and Chris Coons (D) Delaware; Saxby Chambliss (R) of Georgia; Jerry Moran (R) of Kansas; Ben Cardin (D) and Barbara Mikulski (D) of Maryland; Amy Klobuchar (D) of Minnesota; Claire McCaskill (D) of Missouri; Jon Tester (D) of Montana; Jeanne Shaheen (D) of New Hampshire; Charles Schumer (D) of New York; Jeff Merkley (D) of Oregon; Mark Warner (D) of Virginia; and Maria Cantwell (D) of Washington.