A measure that Sen. Mazie Hirono says would have “killed off Hawaii’s last sugar farms” narrowly failed being added to the federal Farm Bill this afternoon, by a 45-54 vote. Hirono and Sen. Brian Schatz voted against the measure.

The proposed amendment by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., would have done away with price supports for sugar. Sheahan and bipartisan co-sponsors had argued that the subsidy inflates the cost of sugar, which hurts consumers and sugar-dependant industries like candy companies.

However, Hirono, who her spokesman said lobbied hard to defeat the measure, said U.S. sugar companies compete with those in other countries like Brazil that receive government subsidies.

“This amendment was a raw deal for Hawaii and sugar producers across the country,” Hirono said in a statement after the vote. 

“Much is said about supporting ‘made in America’ products, and this measure does the opposite. It would have virtually zeroed out American sugar producers and forced us to depend on heavily subsidized foreign producers for this important commodity,” she said. “Eliminating measures that level the playing field for American sugar producers would cost an estimated 142,000 jobs nationwide and devastate Hawaii’s last remaining sugar farms.”

Schatz in a statement said the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company, the state’s sole producer of raw and special sugar, is critical to Maui’s workforce and economy.. “HC&S provides $56 million in wages to 800 Maui residents that have served as a cornerstone of this company and community for decades,” he said.

— Kery Murakami