Supporting the goals and ideals of American Craft Beer Week.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating American Craft Beer Week, May 17 through May 23, 2010. This is a week to celebrate the many accomplishments of craft brewers and home brewers across the nation.

After Prohibition destroyed local and regional breweries around the United States, it took approximately half a century before the American craft beer industry grew to offer so many distinct beer brands and styles. Until this resurgence, beer lovers had few options to choose from and even fewer options when looking for American-made beer.

Today, American Craft Brewers are brewing smaller batches of quality beers using traditional methods but innovative recipes. Craft

brewers in this country create ales, lagers, and porters rivaling the best from around the world. American craft beers have won many international taste and quality competitions. I even know of one small brewer in my district whose fastest growing export market is Belgium, a nation well known for its own beer.

Colorado's Front Range is home to six of the country's 50 largest brewers, a concentration of quality brewers that has led some to dub the area the Napa Valley of Beer. These small businesses have created brands well known nationwide and highly sought after by beer lovers across the globe.

In addition to creating quality beers, it is important to remember what craft brewers do for our communities. Craft brewers work with partners to promote the safe consumption of their products. Many are involved in philanthropic activities, helping to improve the communities around them. Further, many are pioneers in the use of alternative energy and other sustainable practices in their businesses, practices that are unique for a product otherwise manufactured in large industrial breweries.

In celebration of the many contributions made by these small businesses, American Craft Beer Week is a wonderful time to bring more focus to the craft brewing industry. Across the nation, celebrations of this week are taking place in breweries, brewpubs, alehouses, and homes.

To sum up the importance of America's craft brewers, I think it best to quote a few lines from the Brewers Association's Declaration of Beer Independence:

``I declare that these are historic times for beer, with today's beer lover having inalienable rights, among these life, liberty, and the pursuit of hops and malt fermented from the finest of U.S. small and independent craft brewers with more than 1400 of them brewing today . . .''

``I declare American craft brewers provide flavorful and diverse American-made beers in more than 100 distinct styles that have made the United States the envy of every beer-drinking nation for the quality and variety of beers brewed. I declare that beer made by American craft brewers helps to reduce dependence on imported products and therefore contributes to balanced trade, and . . .''

``. . . the makers of these beers produce libations of substance and soul that are sincere and authentic, and the enjoyment of them is about savoring the gastronomic qualities including flavor, aroma, body, and mouthfeel, while practicing responsible appreciation.''

I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution celebrating May 17 through 23 as American Craft Beer Week and I encourage responsible beer lovers everywhere to enjoy one of the thousands of craft beers brewed across the United States.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1297) supporting the goals and ideals of American Craft Beer Week.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I'm pleased to present H. Res. 1297 for consideration. This measure supports the goals and ideas of American Craft Beer Week.

H. Res. 1297 was introduced by our colleague, the gentlewoman from Colorado, Representative Betsy Markey, on April 22, 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Government Reform, which ordered it reported favorably by unanimous consent on May 6, 2010. The measure enjoys the support of over 60 Members of the House.

Madam Speaker, American craft brewers make up a small but fast growing part of the American beer industry, creating a wide variety of beers of many different flavors, colors, aromas, and alcohol strengths. Many commercial craft brewers began as hobbyists, learning about beer by brewing at home. The trade of craft brewing dates back to colonial America, and even George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were known to have produced their own beer.

There are now more than 1,500 craft breweries across the United States. They employ over 100,000 full- and part-time employees and generate over $3 billion in wages and benefits annually. Their industry supports American agriculture by purchasing ingredients grown, processed, and distributed right here in the United States. They make up only a small percentage of the Nation's beer industry, about 6.9 percent of the sales share in dollars, but craft brewers are growing rapidly in sales and market share, with a 10.3 increase in sales last year, despite a recession. They are a shining example of independent American businesses reaching great levels of success by creating and selling unique, high-quality products.

This industry does much more than simply good business. Craft brewers are often fixtures in local communities, participating in community events and philanthropic works. They promote responsible alcohol consumption and raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol abuse.

And so, Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Markey) for introducing this measure. And I also thank Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa for their support for the bill.

I urge my colleagues to join me in commending our country's craft brewers by supporting this measure.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it looks like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin all had something in common in addition to being the Founders of our country. They also liked their beer.

I urge support of this resolution and yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, America has a long and rich tradition with beer. Many of America's Founding Fathers--including Sam Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and James Madison--who attempted to establish a ``Secretary of Beer'' as part of the new nation--were all avid small brewers. Thomas Jefferson built a brewery in his kitchen at Monticello and Benjamin Franklin famously wrote that ``Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.''

I have the distinction of serving as a representative from the state of Oregon, which is one of the most enlightened states when it comes to beer. Oregon craft beer represents 3.8 percent of the total volume of beer brewed in the U.S.

Oregon is the second largest producer of hops in the country and the birthplace of the Willamette hop, giving us the IPA and now, the Cascade IPA. The city I represent, Portland, has 33 breweries, more per capita than any city in the world. These breweries provide an economic boost of over $2.3 billion to the region, promote local agriculture and provide opportunities for social interaction within the community.

Most importantly, the craft brew industry is an engine of job creation. America has over 1500 small brewers. The small brewers in my state employ more than 4,700 individuals while struggling with the higher costs for production, raw materials, and packaging than their larger and in many cases foreign owned competitors. They also operate in one of the most highly regulated business sectors. In spite of this, they are important economic generators in their local communities, avid promoters of our agricultural economy, and tireless in communicating the history and traditions of brewing and the message of responsible enjoyment of their craft made lagers and ales.

I would be remiss if I did not use this time to urge my colleagues to join the Congressional Small Brewers Caucus. The caucus meets regularly to not only celebrate the craft beer industry, but to educate our colleagues on the regulatory challenges these vital small businesses face every day.

I want to thank my colleagues for bringing this resolution to the floor and urge their support of the resolution and of the craft brewers in their district.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1297, recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of American Craft Beer Week. The small and independent American craft brewing industry is making an increasingly valuable and substantial contribution to the American economy. Currently, the industry provides an estimated 100,000 jobs, and craft breweries are located in every State of the Union.

Not only are craft brewers responsible for providing a variety of quality, local jobs, they are responsible for the increased enjoyment and pleasure of craft beers, while customers discover the intricacies of aroma, color, body, and other variables in the beverage that makes it pleasurable to drink. These craft breweries also support American agriculture through purchases of barley, malt, and hops grown, processed, and distributed in the United States.

In addition, craft brewers are in the forefront of educating people about responsible drinking and the prevention of alcohol abuse, as well as supporting programs created to prevent underage drinking. If Benjamin Franklin were with us today, perhaps he would revise his famous statement where he said, ``Beer is living proof that God loved us and wants us to be happy.'' He might preface it with the words, ``American craft.''

I ask my colleagues to support this fine example of American entrepreneurship, and I yield back the balance of my time.