On July 1st, the Federal Trade Commission voted 3-2 to publish the final Made in USA Labeling Rule in the Federal Register. The rule is consistent with – and essentially codifies – its prior 1997 Enforcement Policy Statement on U.S. Origin Claims, and provides the agency with enforcement tools to combat fraudulent claims. The rule …
FTC to Issue Final Rule to Combat “Made in USA” Fraud Read More »
For many years in the Senate, Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) teamed up with Senator George McGovern (D-SD) to create a legacy of bipartisan leadership on nutrition. Working together in the 1970s, they completely reformed the Food Stamp Program (now SNAP); established the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations; with Senator Humphrey, created the Women’s Infants …
Bob Dole and George McGovern: A Nutrition Legacy that Continues Read More »
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will finally be voting on the nomination of Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, for Administrator of the US Agency of International Development tomorrow. Power had her hearing on March 23 before the Senate Spring recess and her confirmation has been waiting to move forward. If confirmed, …
What to Know Ahead of Samantha Power’s Committee Vote Tomorrow Read More »
The Biden-Harris transition team is announcing the names of individuals being appointed to White House and other Executive Branch positions multiple times each week. We are maintaining a list of all announcements based upon the formal notice actually issued as opposed to news reports suggesting who may be appointed. We will update the list on …
On Sunday, March 28, 2021, George Braley, passed away from congestive heart failure. Braley spent his career working to feed the hungry. Braley worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as Deputy Administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service and later became the Senior Vice President at Feeding America for Government Relations and Public Policy. …
OFW Law Mourns the Loss of George Braley (1948-2021) Read More »
The Biden-Harris transition team is announcing the names of individuals being appointed to White House and other Executive Branch positions multiple times each week. We are maintaining a list of all announcements based upon the formal notice actually issued as opposed to news reports suggesting who may be appointed. We will update the list on …
The Biden-Harris transition team is announcing the names of individuals being appointed to White House and other Executive Branch positions multiple times each week. We are maintaining a list of all announcements based upon the formal notice actually issued as opposed to news reports suggesting who may be appointed. We will update the list on …
On March 9, several health groups including the American Lung Association and the Center for Science in the Public Interest joined Santa Clara County, California and other advocacy groups in a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over the Trump administration’s “sunset rule” in the U.S. District Court for the Northern …
Health Groups Sue HHS in Response to Trump Administration’s “Sunset Rule” Read More »
After over 10 years, years, it appears Congress may be considering a return to earmarks, which previously allowed Members to secure funding from congressional appropriations for certain important projects. They were eliminated in 2011 due to scandals. On February 26 House Appropriations Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) announced a plan that would allow the House to …
On February 26, President Biden issued Executive Order (EO) 14018, which revoked a number of EOs and Declarations issued during the Trump Administration. The orders revoked include: Executive Order 13772—Core Principles for Regulating the United States Financial System. This EO outlined the Trump Administration’s financial regulatory principles and required the Department of Treasury to review …
President Biden Revokes Trump Administration’s Executive Orders Read More »
On November 30th, President Joe Biden nominated Neera Tanden to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the largest office within the Executive Office of the President tasked with producing the President’s Budget Request, reviewing rules and regulations, and coordinating policy initiatives across multiple agencies. Ms. Tanden currently leads the Center for American Progress …
The UN Food System Summit (FSS), to be hosted by Secretary-General António Guterres as a part of the UN General Assembly this September, is generating increased attention for several reasons: It’s fast approaching. Hunger is on the rise. The new Biden/Harris Administration is committed to international engagement and hunger reduction. US agriculture has much …
The UN FOOD SYSTEM SUMMIT: Upside and Downside for US Agriculture Read More »
House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) announced that the committee will hold a markup on Thursday at 11:00 AM ET to consider legislative recommendations for its budget reconciliation instructions. Section 3004 of the bill provides $500 million to the Food and Drug Administration to combat the COVID-19 pandemic by: Supporting the review …
FDA Funding in the Energy & Commerce Reconciliation Bill Read More »
President Biden recently issued an Executive Order (EO) to harness the federal government’s purchasing power to bolster domestic manufacturing. The “Strengthening Buy American Provisions, Ensuring Future of America is Made in America by All of America’s Workers” intends to support American industry and American workers. Overall, this EO looks to close loopholes in existing “Buy American” policies …
How Does Buying American Benefit U.S. Food, Agriculture, and Medical Products? Read More »
For decades, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has attempted to combat fraud by retailers and beneficiaries in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with varying success. Fraud levels were dramatically reduced after FNS rolled out the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system and discontinued the use of paper food stamps more than fifteen years ago. …
Oh, SNAP! SNAP Retailers Need to Watch Out for New FNS Entrapment Techniques Read More »
You may recall that back in October we told you about Executive Order 13957, “Creating Schedule F in the Excepted Service” which would have removed certain civil service protections for thousands of federal employees involved in decision and policy making roles. Today, as part of multiple Executive Orders, President Biden eliminates Schedule F. Read more about this …
A few hours after Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a press release with the names of several individuals who will hold senior staff positions at the agency: Katherine Ferguson – Chief of Staff in the Office of the Secretary Robert Bonnie …
The National Institute of Animal Agriculture invited Chelsea Good, Vice President of Government & Industry Affairs at Livestock Marketing Association and John Dillard, Principal Attorney in the USDA Practice Group at OFW Law to provide insight on the incoming Biden Administration and what it will mean for the animal agriculture industry. From the Barn to …
NIAA: What to Expect for Animal Agriculture in a Biden Administration Read More »
The Biden-Harris transition team is announcing the names of individuals being appointed to White House and other Executive Branch positions multiple times each week. We are maintaining a list of all announcements based upon the formal notice actually issued as opposed to news reports suggesting who may be appointed. We will update the list on …
After Congress certified the 2020 election, the Trump administration asked all of its political appointees to submit resignation letters by Inauguration Day. That same day, Agriculture Secretary Perdue issued a memo designating the following individuals as acting officers in their respective positions: Jason Hafemeister, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs …
It appears that Reverend Warnock (D) has unseated Senator Loeffler (R) in Georgia and John Ossoff (D) is currently leading Senator Perdue (R). While we await the final results in Georgia, we thought it would be of interest to look at who is likely to chair the various Senate Committees should Democrats take the Senate majority. …
Who Might Chair Senate Committees With A Democratic Majority Read More »
There have been several recent events of note that will impact meat and poultry producers and processors. The recent election of President-elect Biden means there will be new leadership at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). President-elect Biden will also have the opportunity to appoint new leadership for the USDA Office of Food Safety. In …
Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a proposed rule that would require sunset dates for its regulations, including regulations under its agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The proposed rule, “Securing Updated and Necessary Statutory Evaluations Timely,” flew …
HHS’s Last Ditch Policy Moves – What is the End Game? Read More »
It’s official!! At this writing, GSA Administrator Emily Murphy has now notified President-Elect Biden that she is making available to him the resources available under the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, including funding, office space, access to agency officials, and so on, so that the transition to a new administration can proceed in earnest. In …
Senator John Boozman (R-AR) is in line to become the next Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry if the Republicans remain in majority-control of the US Senate for the upcoming 117th Congress. Senator Boozman is a veteran politician from Arkansas—a state that has provided extraordinary agriculture leadership to the Nation …
At this writing, the administrator of the General Services Administration still has not issued the “ascertainment” finding needed to trigger the resources available to incoming President-Elect Joe Biden and his team under the Presidential Transition Act of 1963. As a result, formal Transition activities – initial contacts between Biden-Harris agency review teams and career staff, …
While so many are paying attention to the transition from the Trump to Biden Administrations, keep in mind that there is another transition going on in Washington – the movement on Capitol Hill from the 116th to the 117th Congress. Majorities will be tighter in both the House and Senate. House leadership is not expected …
As anticipated in our most recent Transition “Next Steps” post from Monday, the Biden-Harris Transition team on Tuesday this week announced its Agency Review teams. These are the groups assigned to interact with each Federal agency, take inventory of pending issues, such personnel and agency management, budget, and policy, and report back an assessment that …
Transition Update: Biden announces agency Review Teams Read More »
The decision desks have spoken and awarded Democrat Joe Biden enough states to claim 270 Electoral College votes and the right to become the next President of the United States. The remaining arguments will drone on, the lawsuits, recounts, and the rest. But regardless, for now, finally, this means we are officially off to the …
Late last week, in the final days of a presidential election, President Donald Trump issued an innocuous-sounding Executive Order (EO) that immediately raised eyebrows. While described as a step to increase accountability for top policymakers, many experts see it as a threat to long standing Civil Service principles. The EO, unless overturned, could put at …
The World Food Program USA (WFP USA) announced it is naming its boardroom the Marshall Matz Boardroom. Marshall founded the organization twenty-five years ago and it has since grown into a significant NGO supporting the work of the United Nations World Food Programme, which is the largest feeding program in the world. Earlier this month, …
With fewer than three weeks till Election Day, neither campaign wants to take its eye off the ball. All focus is on the effort to win 270 electoral votes and, with it, the presidency, be it for Democratic Nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden or for the incumbent, President Donald J. Trump. So far, …
On Wednesday, June 16, 2020, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) hosted a public meeting to review their draft scientific report. A new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is published every 5-years and developed in three stages: (I) Reviewing the science; (II) developing the guidelines; (III) implementation. The most recent meeting marks the …
2020 Dietary Guidelines Near the End of Stage One Read More »
OFW and The Food Institute will be holding their annual Food Labeling Seminar on October 7, 8, and 9. The virtual training course will cover everything you need to know about food labeling in today’s marketplace. This seminar will review the basics of FDA’s and USDA’s food labeling requirements, including recent updates. It will review …
2020 Food Labeling Seminar Hosted by OFW and The Food Institute Read More »
The coronavirus has dominated the news cycle over the last five months and has disrupted nearly every industry, particularly agriculture and forestry. Leaders, innovators, and policymakers in these fields are looking for solutions that will mitigate future supply chain disruptions like the ones experienced due to the coronavirus. Therefore, it is not surprising that climate …
Policy Solutions to Climate Change through Agriculture and Forestry Read More »
We focus on legal, regulatory and advocacy issues in the agriculture, food, and medical products industries.
