DBA endorses Sensenbrenner for re-election to Congress

GREEN BAY

The Dairy Business Association today endorsed U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner for re-election to Congress to represent Wisconsin’s 5th Congressional District.

Sensenbrenner has represented his suburban Milwaukee district for the past 38 years. He is the longest-serving member of the Wisconsin congressional delegation.

Although his district is generally thought of as urban, dairy farming still plays an important role in the area’s economy. The farmers in the rural parts of Dodge, Jefferson, Washington and Waukesha counties are home to enough dairy farms to earn the district a place in the top 50 milk-producing districts in the U.S. In addition to on-the-farm jobs, dairy farming helps to support many other jobs in the district in supporting industries.

“It’s important we have members of the House, like Representative Sensenbrenner, who understand the economics of the business and regulatory environment and how the policies handed down to us affect our ability to maintain and grow a business,” said Tom Crave, whose family owns Crave Brothers Farm, consisting of a dairy farm and cheese-making plant in Waterloo, Wis., in the 5th District.

Congressman Sensenbrenner has been a longtime proponent of sensible government oversight that does not unnecessarily impede on a business’s ability to succeed, Crave said. Sensenbrenner has also supported many legislative initiatives that directly affect a farmer’s bottom line, such as advocating for an increased expensing limit in the tax code to allow farmers to deduct investments in equipment.

“Representative Sensenbrenner has been a steady advocate of keeping the government out of our dairymen’s pocketbooks through accountable fiscal policy, therefore increasing our ability to succeed as farmers and as businessmen and women,” Crave said.