HILL STAFF VIEWS: Strong Bipartisan Support Among Staffers for Food Reforms
(QUICK READ) — Strong majorities among both Democratic and Republican congressional staffers back proposals for eliminating highly processed foods and the use of petroleum-based dyes in what Americans eat, according to recent CNCT Capitol Pulse surveys.
Hill aides aren’t nearly so united when it comes to the issue of what to do with seed oils, however.
The CNCT Capitol Pulse crew has asked three key questions on these issues in recent months and here’s how they describe the responses they received from hundreds of Hill aides. Remember, all responses on these surveys are anonymous:
“’Would you support a ban on heavily processed foods?’ Simply put, the overwhelming sentiment is ‘yes.’ Both Republicans and Democrats voted most for a partial ban at a 44 percent and 37 percent rate, respectively.
“Coming in second, Republicans and Democrats voted for ‘yes, fully; at 38 percent and 29 percent, respectively. Looks like we can all agree the grocery aisle needs a clean-up — we just differ on whether to sweep the crumbs into the trash or burn down the whole bakery.”
The second question that garnered bipartisan support focused on the controversial food dyes and asked “Do you support RFK Jr.’s ban on petroleum-based synthetic food dyes?”
The results, according to CNCT Capitol Pulse, was a bit more weighted to the GOP side of things, but remained solidly bipartisan, with 82 percent of Republicans saying “yes” and 54 percent of Democrats doing so.
“Meanwhile, those who voted ‘no’ were predominantly Democrats at a 32 percent rate. Overall, about 13 percent of staffers were unsure how they felt about this issue,” CNCT Capitol Pulse explained.
Interestingly, things tightened up considerably when CNCT Capitol Pulse asked Hill aides how they view seed oils, which are extracted from various vegetables and in several varieties undergo extensive processing before being added to food ingredients.
When aides were asked “what are your thoughts on seed oils,” the responses were divided into three basic camps, with 40 percent choosing to ban them outright, 37 percent saying they are unsure and 23 percent expressing no worries about them.
“The seed oil debate is only going to heat up, so this August might be the perfect time to dive in and decide where you stand,” CNCT Capitol Pulse observed.