Florists, wholesalers, growers, manufacturers and suppliers from across the country and South America gathered in Washington, D.C., for the Society of American Florists’ (SAF) 44th annual Congressional Action Days (CAD) on March 17-18, making a direct case to lawmakers about the policies impacting their businesses.
Fifty attendees met with 88 congressional offices to discuss legislative priorities, including tariff relief, agricultural labor reform, floriculture research funding and port inspection improvements.
The Importance of Advocacy
“CAD is one of the most important days that SAF puts on,” says SAF Immediate Past President Michelle Castellano Keeler, AAF, of Mellano & Co. in San Luis Rey, CA. “While Joe (Bischoff, SAF’s senior lobbyist) is an amazing voice on (Capitol) Hill year-round, nobody can tell our story like we can. I always think members of Congress have a lot on their plates, and they know nothing about running a flower business. I know that, and it’s my job to come to the Hill and share our story with our representatives so they can represent us.”
Ensuring Duty-Free Access to Flowers
A key issue on the agenda was the reauthorization of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which would reinstate duty-free status for Ecuadorian roses, saving the industry an estimated $40 million annually. Without this program, floral importers are forced to pay millions in additional tariffs, increasing costs for businesses and consumers alike.
“Our industry really relies on trade preference. Eight-five percent of the product we sell here in America is grown in other countries. Without trade agreements with those countries, our industry would have a really hard time,” says Camron Hardesty of Poppy Flowers. “It’s so important that our representatives and our senators are aware of those issues and are advocating for us.”
Addressing Labor Challenges
Floral growers rely on the H-2A visa program to secure labor. However, the program is costly and complex, with rapidly rising wages under the Adverse Effect Wage Rate. SAF members asked Congress to cap wage increases and streamline the H-2A program to ensure access to affordable labor.
During a meeting with Senator Cory Booker’s office, Chris Drummond, AAF, PFCI, of Penny By Plaza Flowers in Philadelphia and a past SAF president, and Colleen Fagundus, director of floral for the International Fresh Produce Association, found a receptive audience in his lead counsel.
“He was very well versed on specialty crops,” Drummond says. The discussion covered pressing concerns, particularly regarding the H-2A guest worker program and the need for secure, reliable labor.
Improving Port Inspections
Efficient and thorough inspections at the ports of entry safeguard against the entry of unwanted pests and disease while ensuring the flowers get to their destination in top condition. Recent terminations and deferred resignations at the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service threaten to slow down that critical process. Attendees called for their representatives to support the staffing of USDA’s inspection and processing of flowers at major ports of entry to ensure timely inspections and prevent supply chain disruptions.
“It’s important to have things go through quickly and effectively so that we get our product in our trucks in a timely manner so our customers can be serviced quickly,” says Russ Griffin of Griffin’s Floral Design in Columbus, Ohio.
Funding Floriculture Research
Attendees also highlighted the need for continued investment in the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative (FNRI), a program that supports research on pest and disease management, climate adaptation, and sustainable growing practices. SAF is asking Congress to maintain 2024 funding levels for the FNRI.
Drummond and Fagundus’s left their meeting with Booker’s office feeling assured about the research funding. “(The legislative aide) seemed very positive about maintaining the appropriations for FNRI at the current level,” Drummond says.
The Power of Collective Advocacy
“It’s been an amazing experience,” Ana Ramirez of Valley Springs in Doral, Florida, says of her first Congressional Action Days. “Going into all these offices, you know that the people there are also fighting for your flowers, and they know what you are looking for.”
Lori Wheat, of Lafayette Florist, Gift Shop & Garden Center in Lafayette, Colorado, and SAF’s president-elect, emphasizes the importance of making personal connections with lawmakers.
“I wanted to connect with the legislators, I wanted to make sure they knew who we were,” Wheat says. “We’re a small family business in Colorado, and we want our legislators to know who they are working for, that we have important issues. We support our community every day, and we’re hoping they support us in our industry issues that we covered today, and to feel a partnership.”
See photos from Congressional Action Days 2025 here
Amanda Jedlinsky is the senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists.