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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…

White House and Congressional Leaders Reach Deal on FY 2020 & 2021 Budget

July 22, 2019Tim CanslerAgriculture, Budget & Appropriations, Defense, Drinking Water, Farm Bill, Food Safety, Govt News, InfrastructureAgriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Appropriations Committee, Drinking Water, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, House Appropriations, SNAP, Specialty Crops, The Food and Drug Administration, US Department of Agriculture

On August 2, President Trump signed into law a two-year federal budget deal totaling $2.7 trillion. Background The White House and congressional leaders announced on July 22 that a comprehensive deal had been worked out on the top line spending numbers for the U.S. discretionary budget for fiscal years 2020 and 2021. Pressure had been…

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…

Timeline to Implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill

August 13, 2018Tim CanslerAgriculture, Farm Bill, Govt News

There is a lot talk these days about “completing” the 2018 farm bill on time. Lawmakers have their countdown clocks set to September 30, 2018 for completing the farm bill before the current law expires on that date which is the end of the federal fiscal year. Over 150 farm interest groups sent a letter…

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,…

Food Labeling and Whom it Impacts Most

January 31, 2017Tim CanslerAgriculture, Budget & Appropriations, Farm Bill, Food Safety, Govt News

In response to agency regulations and laws enacted last year food & beverage companies are preparing to spend billions of dollars to change their food labels for nutrition and the presence of bioengineered material. Previous food labeling policy discussions centered on country-of-origin labeling, organic labeling and menu labeling. More recently, policy discussions have begun on how…

Collection of Accurate & Voluntary Data = Federal Program Integrity

January 20, 2017Tim CanslerAgriculture, Budget & Appropriations, Farm Bill, Govt News

On January 19, farmdoc Project- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign posted a USDA Study by Robert Johansson, USDA Chief Economist, Anne Effland, USDA Economic Research Service and Keith Coble, Mississippi State University, entitled “Falling Response Rates to USDA Crop Surveys: Why It Matters.” As background and explained in the report, “USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)…

Farm Bill Focus

December 21, 2016Tim CanslerAgriculture, Farm Bill, Govt NewsAgriculture, Farm Bill, risk management, SNAP

Corn field

The 2018 Farm Bill will focus on a few major issues. 75% of the Farm Bill revolves around the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp program). The general consensus is that most federal lawmakers and stakeholders want to keep a nutrition title included in the Farm Bill. At one time, there was talk about separating agricultural issues from nutrition programs. However, in order to keep urban stakeholders involved it is generally accepted that it is best for everyone to keep the two intertwined.…

Time For a Farm Bill

December 20, 2016Tim CanslerAgriculture, Farm Bill, Govt NewsAFBF, Agri-pulse.com, American Farm Bureau Federation, Chuck Conner, Farm Bill, National Corn Growers Association, National Council Farmers Cooperatives, President, The Farm Foundation

Talks regarding the 2018 Farm Bill are heating up. Major players in the agriculture industry agree that now is the time to develop your strategy ensuring that your viewpoints are heard.

The National Corn Growers Association

Sam Willett with the National Corn Growers Association says it is not too soon to discuss the next Farm Bill. He notes “the current bill was written during a time of profit, but this next bill will be written during a time of falling farm income.”…

Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture on Upcoming Farm Bill

December 2, 2016Tim CanslerAgriculture, Farm Bill, Govt NewsAgriculture, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Congress, Lobbying, Mike Conaway, U.S. Congressman, Washington DC

The debate that preceded the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill was the most contentious in recent history. In a video article on From The Ground Up on KBTX, the Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture had this to say …

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Farmer-Friendly Farm Bill

December 2, 2016Tim CanslerAgriculture, Farm Bill, Govt NewsChuck Conner, Farm Bill, National Council Farmers Cooperatives, President, The Farm Foundation

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Chuck Conner, President, National Council Farmer Cooperatives, delivers remarks at Farm Foundation Forum on the next Farm Bill.

The Farm Foundation recently hosted a forum on the goals of the next Farm Bill likely to be written in the 115th Congress. Participants heard from varying interests in the Farm Bill including representatives from the Environmental Working Group and the fiscally conservative Heritage Foundation. Also on the panel was Chuck Conner, President, National Council Farmers Cooperatives. Conner formerly served as staff director to the U.S. Senate agriculture Committee and Deputy Secretary of Agriculture in the George W. Bush administration. Conner also served on President-elect Trump’s agriculture advisory board.

To listen to the audio from the Forum examining the goals of the next Farm Bill, CLICK HERE.

Conner made it very clear that President-elect Trump understood the impact of the rural vote on the outcome of his election. Conner elaborated, “This is going to be a user-friendly, farmer-friendly Farm Bill.”

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Farm Bill Planning Needs to Happen Now!

December 2, 2016Tim CanslerAgriculture, Farm Bill, Govt NewsAgriculture, Farm Bill, Farm Subsidies, Lobbying, Lobbyist, Washington, Washington DC

Farm Bill planning needs to start now

The agriculture industry is experiencing a dramatic downturn as commodities pile up and prices fall to historic lows. Some in the ag industry are hoping the next Farm Bill can help — sooner as opposed to later. With farm loans steadily deteriorating, many farm groups are hoping to get the Farm Bill process started early.

We’re Not in 2013 Anymore

“The last time we did a farm bill in 2014 our production agriculture industry was having really good times. Commodity prices were good,” said Mike Conaway, U.S. Congressman, Texas’ 11th Congressional District, and Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture. “Well, in 2018, I don’t think that’s going to be the case. We’ve already experienced a 42% drop in production farm income.”…

It’s not as far off as you think, work on the 2018 Farm Bill

November 1, 2016Tim CanslerAgriculture, Farm Bill2019, Agriculture, Farm Bill, Farm Press, Hembree Brandon, Lobbying, Washington, Washington DC

It’s not as far off as you think, work on the 2019 farm bill by Hembree Brandon

In a recent article titled “It’s not as far off as you think, work on the 2018 Farm Bill“, the Farm Press‘s Hembree Brandon discusses the upcoming Farm Bill and how soon organizations need to act in order to get their point of view heard by the law makers that are framing the agricultural legislation.

It’s not as far off as you think, work on the 2018 Farm Bill

According to Brandon, Lawmakers’ approach to the 2014 farm bill was an effort to spend as little as possible, as opposed to creating programs to truly help farmers and rural America.

While many in agriculture are still trying to fathom the complexities of the 2014 farm bill and its implementation, members of Congress and ag sector leaders are already laying preliminary groundwork for the 2018 farm bill.”…