Most folks expect their elected officials to support U.S. farmers, local jobs, fair trade and affordable prices at the grocery store.

Congressman Mike Thompson does all of those things by backing U.S. sugar policy.

Sugar policy operates without taxpayer cost, helps thousands of farms from California to Florida and backs 142,000 jobs nationwide, including hundreds at the local C&H refinery.

What’s more, the price of sugar today is actually cheaper than it was in 1980.

Amazingly, the congressman was personally attacked by a D.C. lobbyist, Nicholas Pyle, for defending local jobs.

Pyle is paid to promote the outsourcing of U.S. sugar production to subsidized foreign industries that break international trade law and employ child and slave labor.

His clients hope Congress will reward these bad actors to the detriment of U.S. farmers and workers so they can save a couple of pennies a pound on ingredient costs.

That’s terrible policy. Made in America means something to most reasonable people. Too bad D.C. attack dogs like Pyle aren’t paid to be reasonable.

Phillip Hayes represents the American Sugar Alliance, based in Arlington, Va.