30 Members of Congress form Congressional Cigar Caucus

There’s a new Congressional caucus dedicated just to cigars.

Earlier this month, the Congressional Cigar Caucus Caucus was approved as a Congressional Member Organization, better known as a caucus. The effort is being led by Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., who is serving as the chairperson, and Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., who will serve as as the vice chairperson.

The group describes itself as:

The Congressional Cigar Caucus will serve as an informal group of Members dedicated to preserving the artisan craft of the cigar industry while educating Members on how the cigar industry impacts American families, workforce, agriculture and the economy.

There are 30 founding members of the group, all Republicans:

• Don Bacon (R-Neb.)
• Andy Barr (R-Ky.)
• Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.)
• Ken Calvert (R-Calif.)
• Kat Cammack (R-Fla.)
• Tom Cole (R-Okla.)
• Mario Diaz Balart (R-Fla.)
• Byron Donalds (R-Fla.)
• Tom Emmer (R-Minn.)
• Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.)
• Scott Franklin (R-Fla.)
• Jim Hagedorn (R-Minn.)
• Kevin Hern (R-Okla.)
• Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)
• Ronny Jackson (R-Texas)
• John Katko (R-N.Y.)
• Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.)
• Dan Meuser (R-Pa.)
• Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.)
• Troy Nehls (R-Texas
• Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.)
• Hal Rogers (R-Ky.)
• David Rouzer (R-N.C.)
• John Rutherford (R-Fla.)
• Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.)
• Gregory Steube (R-Fla.)
• GT Thompson (R-Pa.)
• David Valadao (R-Calif.)
• Steve Womack (R-Ark.)
• Don Young (R-Alaska)

Tyler Menzler, Meuser’s chief of staff and former director of legislative affairs for the Cigar Association of America, told halfwheel that the group is actively recruiting other members.

Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.