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Is Your Government Relations Team #SmartWorking?

April 14, 2020Tim CanslerAgriculture, BioTech, Budget & Appropriations, Cansler News, COVID-19, Defense, Drinking Water, Energy, Farm Bill, Food Safety, Govt News, Health Care, Industry News, Infrastructure, Leaner Govt Relations, Press, Rural Dev., Trade, Transportationgovernment relations, K-Street, Lobbying, SmartWorking

There’s been a huge swell in lobbying activities in Washington during the COVID-19 pandemic as Congress swiftly enacts policies to help those impacted. Events like the COVID-19 pandemic typically alter the course for many sectors toward technologies and different methods they should have been using all along. So, it begs the question why are some government relations firms charging their clients $40,000, $50,000 and $80,000 per quarter? It’s outrageous. #Smartworking government relations firms will never cost that much.

U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee Takes up Challenges in Global Food Supply Chain

November 15, 2019Tim CanslerAgriculture, BioTech, Cansler News, Farm Bill, Food Safety, Govt News, Trade, TransportationAgriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, CA Dept of Food & Ag, California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association, food, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, phytosanitary, Specialty Crops, trade, Transportation, U.S. Department of Agriculture

On November 14, the U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture addressed the issue of invasive species and their impacts on the U.S. food supply chain. In his opening statement to begin the hearing Chairman of the Subcommittee, Jim Costa (D-CA) pointed out, “Along our southern border and in seaports across the country…

As Senate Republicans Huddle, House Democrats Move Forward on FY 2020 Discretionary Spending Bills

June 11, 2019Tim CanslerAgriculture, BioTech, Budget & Appropriations, Cansler News, Defense, Energy, Food Safety, Govt News, Health Care, Industry News, Infrastructure, Leaner Govt Relations, Press, Rural Dev., TransportationAgriculture, Appropriations Committee, budget House of Representatives, Democrats, Drinking Water, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, Energy & Commerce, Environmental Protection Agency, federal budget, federal programs, House Appropriations, infrastructure, international trade, National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST, Republicans, The Food and Drug Administration, trade, Transportation, U.S. Senate Budget Committee, Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act

House Maintains Modest Increases in all 12 Appropriations Bills Above FY 2019 Levels On June 11 officials from the White House & Office of Management and Budget will meet with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) & Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) to chart a path forward on the FY 2020 appropriations bills that…

What Can Possibly Be Accomplished During 2018 Lame Duck Session of Congress?

October 28, 2018Tim CanslerAgriculture, BioTech, Budget & Appropriations, Cansler News, Defense, Energy, Farm Bill, Food Safety, Govt News, Health Care, Industry News, Infrastructure, Press, Rural Dev., Transportation, Uncategorized

Congress left many issues undone for the 16-days scheduled in the legislative calendar after the 2018 midterm elections, known as the lame duck session of Congress. Below are some of those remaining issues. FY 2019 Appropriations Bill Congress enacted 5 (of the total 12) annual FY 2019 appropriations bills prior to the beginning of the…

Federal Budget Changes Coming. Is Your Organization Ready?

August 26, 2018Tim CanslerAgriculture, BioTech, Budget & Appropriations, Cansler News, Defense, Energy, Farm Bill, Food Safety, Govt News, Health Care, Infrastructure, Leaner Govt Relations, Press, Rural Dev., Transportation

No matter the outcome of the upcoming mid-term elections there is an important policy issue that will take center stage early in the coming 116th Congress. Its an issue that everyone knows Congress must begin to address and its an issue that could impact everyone’s favorite federal program — the federal debt and growing federal…

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at Forefront of Emerging Technologies

July 24, 2018Tim CanslerAgriculture, BioTech, Budget & Appropriations, Defense, Govt News, Industry News

The U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee has unanimously approved the National Institute of Standards and Technology Reauthorization Act of 2018 (H.R. 6229), introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Research and Technology. The U.S. House was scheduled to adopt H.R. 6229 by unanimous consent this week. However it no…

Cansler Keynotes Annual Conference for Tennessee Farm Bureau Presidents

August 11, 2017Tim CanslerAgriculture, BioTech, Budget & Appropriations, Cansler News, Energy, Farm Bill, Food Safety, Govt News, Health Care, Industry News, Leaner Govt Relations, Press, Rural Dev., Transportation, Uncategorized

“Tim Cansler’s behind the scenes Washington knowledge on agricultural and farm issues makes him an excellent choice for hearing the “rest of the story” about current Washington happenings. His agricultural and Farm Bureau background provide a solid foundation and understanding of the issues important to farmers.” Jeff Aiken President Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation Cansler Consulting,…

GMO Food Labeling Approved by Senate

July 18, 2016Tim CanslerAgriculture, BioTech, Food Safety, Govt News

On July 7, the U.S. Senate approved legislation requiring food packaging to display genetically-modified organism (GMO) contents using words, pictures or scannable bar codes in a 63-30 vote. The House passed the legislation a week later by a vote of 306-117. Farm groups and food manufacturing associations praised the passage of the bill. President Obama is expected to sign it into law. The law says that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) decides which ingredients will be designated as genetically modified. The Agriculture Department would have two years to write the rules. But, of course, not everyone is happy about the new labeling legislation……

Agri-Biotech Summit Nov 18-19

October 1, 2014Tim CanslerAgriculture, BioTechAgri-Biotech, agricultural, Agriculture, biotech, biotechnology, Food Safety, Lobbying, Lobbyist, McKimmon Conference Center, NC. North Carolina, NCSU, Raliegh, summit, Washington DC

Agriculture, biotech leaders to gather at NCSU for food ‘summit’

Food and agricultural experts from around the nation will join North Carolina peers at the McKimmon Conference Center in Raleigh Nov. 18 and 19 for a wide-ranging discussion of technologies and policies affecting food production.…

Taking the Scary Out of Biotech

September 4, 2014Tim CanslerAgriculture, BioTechAgriculture, biotech, biotechnology, botech, genetically modified organisms. food safety, GMO, Lobbying, Lobbyist, Washington, Washington DC

Dr. Cathleen Enright

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em…

The biotech industry has been taking a pounding on social media, but thinks it is successfully reaching some of its critics now. “GMO Answers,” the industry’s online Q&A forum, which launched a year ago, has fielded 750 questions and answered 650 of them, with the other 100 being reviewed by experts. BIO’s Cathy Enright, who heads the effort, also has been touring the country, giving more than 100 presentations and sit-downs with groups of all stripes.…

EPA Finalizes Two Rules Under Renewable Fuels Standard

July 3, 2014Tim CanslerBioTech, Energy

On Wednesday the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized two rules under its Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). One rule expands the list of advanced fuels while the other rule begins a voluntary program to combat fraud.

Specifically, EPA added compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas and electric power used as a transportation fuel – all produced with sources of biogas – to the list of qualified cellulosic or advanced biofuel. While EPA has not finalized RFS volume for 2014 this rule mandates that a percentage of renewable fuels displace gasoline or diesel fuel. As anticipated the focus remains on advanced biofuels and EPA indicated this rule has the potential to provide notable volumes of cellulosic biofuel to the marketplace.…

Biotechnological Agriculture Helps Economy

May 15, 2014Tim CanslerAgriculture, BioTechAgriculture, biotech, biotechnology, crops, GMO, Lobbying, Lobbyist, Washington, Washington DC

Want to Help a Small Farm Prosper? Biotechnology in Agriculture

In 2013 more than 18 million farmers in 27 countries around the globe planted more than 175 million hectares (432 million acres) with scientifically improved seeds that produced high yields of food, feed and fiber. 90% of the those farmers (that’s over 16 Million farmers) who grow biotech crops are resource-poor with farms of less than 10 hectares (a hectare is just under 108,000 square feet or 2.47 acres). So a small farmer using modified seeds can increase crop yields as high as 53%.…

Are GMO Crops Really Safe?

May 9, 2014Tim CanslerAgriculture, BioTechAgriculture, biotech, biotechnology, Food Safety, genetically modified seeds, GMO, improved crops, Lobbying, Lobbyist, Washington, Washington DC

The answer is: YES.

Food from GMOs (genetically modified organisms, or bio-technologically modified crops) is digested into the body the same as any other type of food product including organic and/or non-GM crops. Hundreds and hundred of studies (and those ongoing) demonstrate that improved crops do not present any health risk. Before they reach the market, crops from GM seeds are studied extensively to make sure they are safe for people, animals and the environment. Today’s GM products are the most researched and tested agricultural products in history. Not only do they NOT cause new allergies or cancers, infertility, ADHD or any other diseases, but in the decades that farmers have been growing crops from GM seeds, there has not been a single documented instance of harm to human health resulting from genetic modifications, including new allergic reactions.…

Biotech, Agriculture & Starvation

April 24, 2014Tim CanslerAgriculture, BioTechAgriculture, biotech, biotehcnology, Lobbying, Lobbyist

People seem to think that Biotechnology is a New Science that creates “Franken-maters”. Nothing could be further from the truth. Biotechnology utilizes natural sciences to create solutions for many of the world’s problems, such as fossil fuel shortages, disease and hunger and have been around for millennia. Biotechnology “dates back to 8000 B.C when the domestication of crops and livestock made it possible for civilizations to prosper. The 17th Century discovery of cells and later discoveries of proteins and genes had a tremendous impact on the evolution of biotechnology. “…