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Government Relations

Health Groups Sue HHS in Response to Trump Administration’s “Sunset Rule”

Healthcare, Government Relations, Public Policy /

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 […]

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President Biden Revokes Trump Administration’s Executive Orders

Government Relations /

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

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What’s Next for Neera Tanden?

Government Relations /

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

What’s Next for Neera Tanden? Read More »

The UN FOOD SYSTEM SUMMIT: Upside and Downside for US Agriculture

Food Distribution & International Trade, Agriculture & Agribusiness, Government Relations, USDA /

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 »

Food and Drug Administration building

FDA Funding in the Energy & Commerce Reconciliation Bill

FDA, Government Relations /

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

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How Does Buying American Benefit U.S. Food, Agriculture, and Medical Products?

Agriculture & Agribusiness, FDA, Food Distribution & International Trade, Food Manufacturing, Processing, and Marketing, Government Relations, Public Policy, USDA /

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 »

Food drive called "Stamp Out Hunger"

Oh, SNAP! SNAP Retailers Need to Watch Out for New FNS Entrapment Techniques

Food Manufacturing, Processing, and Marketing, Food Distribution & International Trade, Government Relations, USDA /

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 »

United States Department of Agriculture building

UPDATE: ATTACK ON FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HALTED

Government Relations /

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

UPDATE: ATTACK ON FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HALTED Read More »

NIAA: What to Expect for Animal Agriculture in a Biden Administration

Agriculture & Agribusiness, Food Distribution & International Trade, Food Manufacturing, Processing, and Marketing, Government Relations /

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

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USDA Jamie L Whitten Building

Acting Officers at the USDA

Government Relations /

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

Acting Officers at the USDA Read More »

US Capitol Building in Washington DC

Who Might Chair Senate Committees With A Democratic Majority

Government Relations /

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 »

Regulatory Roundup: USDA Secretary, Vaccines for Meat and Poultry Line Workers, and NPIS’s Line Speed Proposal

Food Manufacturing, Processing, and Marketing, Government Relations /

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

Regulatory Roundup: USDA Secretary, Vaccines for Meat and Poultry Line Workers, and NPIS’s Line Speed Proposal Read More »

HHS’s Last Ditch Policy Moves – What is the End Game?

Healthcare, Government Relations /

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 »

Transition Update: Moving Forward

Government Relations /

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,

Transition Update: Moving Forward Read More »

Transition Update: Biden announces agency Review Teams

Government Relations /

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 »

A Midnight Attack on Federal Employees?

Government Relations /

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

A Midnight Attack on Federal Employees? Read More »

2020 Dietary Guidelines Near the End of Stage One

Agriculture & Agribusiness, Government Relations /

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 »

2020 Food Labeling Seminar Hosted by OFW and The Food Institute

Food Manufacturing, Processing, and Marketing, Government Relations /

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 »

Policy Solutions to Climate Change through Agriculture and Forestry

Agriculture & Agribusiness, Government Relations /

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 »

ITC To Investigate the Impact of Blueberry Imports on US Domestic Producers

Food Distribution & International Trade, Government Relations /

At the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has initiated an investigation to determine whether increased imports of fresh, chilled, or frozen blueberries are causing or threatening to cause serious injury to domestic blueberry producers.  If the ITC determines that they are, the President is authorized to take action

ITC To Investigate the Impact of Blueberry Imports on US Domestic Producers Read More »

COVID-19 and the Need for International Food Aid – A Growing Body of Evidence

Agriculture & Agribusiness, Government Relations /

“So today, with COVID-19, I want to stress that we are not only facing a global health pandemic but also a global humanitarian catastrophe. Millions of civilians living in conflict-scarred nations, including many women and children, face being pushed to the brink of starvation, with the specter of famine a very real and dangerous possibility.” David

COVID-19 and the Need for International Food Aid – A Growing Body of Evidence Read More »

Presidential Election Republicans and Democrats

The 2020 Presidential Transition Has Already Begun, Quietly

Government Relations /

It is almost easy to forget, in this strange, tumultuous spring of 2020, that we still have a national presidential election, perhaps one of the most important in our lifetimes, just around the corner, five months from now. As a cascade of crises dominates national attention — the covid-19 pandemic and its economic fallout, nationwide

The 2020 Presidential Transition Has Already Begun, Quietly Read More »

Government shutdowns – Who dreamed up this crazy idea?

Government Relations /

Jimmy Carter (above) and his Attorney General, Benjamin Civiletti (right), authors of the modern government shutdown. In all the drama and commotion over the government shutdown, now in its third week, with 800,000 federal employees going without paychecks and services disappearing by the day, all prompted by President Trump’s insistence on funding his proposed Mexican

Government shutdowns – Who dreamed up this crazy idea? Read More »

George H.W. Bush at his inauguration in 1989

John Block Reports: Saying Goodbye to President George H.W. Bush

Government Relations /

By former USDA Secretary John R. Block. The passing of President George H. W. Bush has brought the whole nation to focus on his life and the contributions that he made to our country.  President Reagan brought the Soviet Union down, but President Bush managed the clean-up of the Cold War.  Eastern Europe emerged from the

John Block Reports: Saying Goodbye to President George H.W. Bush Read More »

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