Government Shutdown Enters Day 10; Newsom Bans “Ultra-processed” Foods from California Schools

Government Shutdown Enters Day 10
The federal government shutdown has entered day 10 due to lawmakers’ failure to pass a funding bill. This shutdown has resulted in the suspension of non-essential services and the furlough of approximately 750,000 federal employees. In the Senate, voting has repeatedly failed to break the impasse. Yesterday, the Senate held a seventh round of votes on dueling funding bills – testing whether either side could reach the 60-vote threshold needed to advance the legislation – but ultimately failed again. The Senate is out of session today, thus punting the next vote to Tuesday, October 14, since Monday is a federal holiday.

The stalemate centers largely on Democrats’ demand to include an extension of Affordable Care Act premium tax credits while Republicans insist on reopening the government before negotiating on healthcare. NMPF is eager for the government to reopen so we can resume the fullest extent of our advocacy work with federal agencies and hill offices on priority issues for our member cooperatives. In the meantime, we remain diligent in ensuring our farmers’ immediate needs are being met.

Governor Newsom Bans “Ultra-processed” Foods from California Schools
On Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation phasing out “ultra-processed” foods from California schools by 2032. This is the first state law of its kind banning “ultra-processed” foods and likely not the last with the Make America Healthy Again Commission’s release of its Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy last month. The CA bill defines it as any food or beverage that contains flavor or color enhancers and that is high in saturated fats, sodium or specific added sugars or sweeteners.

On the federal level, FDA and USDA have issued a request for information to develop a uniform definition of ultra-processed foods. NMPF will be submitting comments later this month, emphasizing the nutritional benefits of dairy and the important role processing plays in keeping our food supply safe. Additionally, the House introduced a bill in April which would prohibit schools participating in the National School Lunch Program from including “ultra-processed” foods. You can keep track of all federal legislation relevant to our member cooperatives using NMPF’s Bill Tracker.