New Shutdown Record, Hemp on Hold, Dietary Guidelines
Reopened!
It took 40+ days, a new world record, but the government is now officially reopened, even if a number of operations, services, and benefits remain backlogged or in limbo as everyone tries to clean up. Among the many downsides from this political scuffle were major disruptions in our nation’s air travel system, suspension of basic nutrition benefits for poor people, and a wide array of services which now have to get back up to speed. Meanwhile, while millions of federal workers received no pay during the pause, most Members of Congress kept on collecting theirs—for doing nothing.
The Republicans and Democrats blame each other, of course, but there’s plenty of blame to go around, especially among so-called “leadership”. This is not how the government should work.
Hemp on Hold; DGA Input
One of the issues addressed by the legislation which reopened the government involved the use of hemp to produce alcoholic beverages, which currently are not regulated at all. While we may see more of this issue in the future, for now the pause will let legislators take their time revisiting the intent of the Farm Bill language and amending it as they see fit. This was an example of a snafu caused by fuzzy legislative language, and creative entrepreneurs taking advantage of it.
Another important provision made clear that development for the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) will not consider information from the Interagency Coordinating Committee for the Prevention of Underage Drinking, but rather will be informed by that from the National Academy for Science, Engineering, and Medicine, which has traditionally played this role and is far better positioned to provide legitimate information. The revised Dietary Guidelines are expected to be released in December.