Washington Roundup – September 2025
By: Lowell Randel
Government Shutdown Looms at End of September
With lawmakers away from Washington the week of September 22nd, they will return on September 29th with little time to avert a government shutdown at the end of the month. On September 17th, House Republicans successfully passed a “clean” continuing resolution by a vote of 217-212. The measure would keep the government funded through November 21st. The Senate took up the bill but failed to adopt it on a 44-48 vote. Senate Democrats also failed to pass a proposed alternative version that would have extended funding, as well as renewed healthcare subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, a key Democratic priority they are pushing to have included. This leaves both sides blaming each other as the September 30th deadline approaches. USDA has developed plans on how to address a lapse in government funding which can be found HERE.
Trump Administration Releases MAHA Strategy Report
On September 9th, the Make America Healthy Again Commission released its Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy report. Chaired by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Commission is tasked with investigating and addressing the root causes of America’s escalating health crisis, with a focus on childhood chronic diseases. The strategy outlines targeted executive actions to advance gold-standard science, realign incentives, increase public awareness, and strengthen private-sector collaboration.
Key focus areas of the strategy include:
Restoring Science & Research: Expanding NIH and agency research into chronic disease prevention, nutrition and metabolic health, food quality, environmental exposures, autism, gut microbiome, precision agriculture, rural and tribal health, vaccine injury, and mental health.
Historic Executive Actions: Reforming dietary guidelines; defining ultra-processed foods; improving food labeling; closing the GRAS loophole; raising infant formula standards; removing harmful chemicals from the food supply; increasing oversight and enforcement of direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising laws; improving food served in schools, hospitals, and to veterans; and reforming Medicaid quality metrics to measure health outcomes.
Process Reform & Deregulation: Streamlining organic certification; easing barriers to farm-to-school programs and direct-to-consumer sales; restoring whole milk in schools; supporting mobile grocery and processing units; modernizing FDA drug and device approval; and accelerating EPA approvals for innovative agricultural products.
Among the regulatory reforms are proposals to help small meat processors such as providing additional guidance on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points requirements for very small meat processors serving local markets that ease compliance while maintaining safety standards and increasing categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act for lowvolume meat processing operations from water discharge and hazardous waste permitting, and work with states to fast-track approvals to strengthen regional meat infrastructure and improve access to fresh protein in schools and communities.
Public Awareness & Education: Launching school-based nutrition and fitness campaigns, Surgeon General initiatives on screen time, prioritizing pediatric mental health, and expanding access to reliable nutrition and health information for parents.
Private Sector Collaboration: Promoting awareness of healthier meals at restaurants, soil health and land stewardship, and community-led initiatives, and scaling innovative solutions to address root causes of chronic disease.
The strategy also addresses the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) which are expected to be released this fall. The report states that USDA and HHS will launch an education campaign based on the updated DGAs. The campaign will expand upon a DGA that prioritizes whole foods including protein foods, fruits, and vegetables, minimizes highly processed foods and added sugar, and brings awareness to strategies to improve health.
Priorities will include:
- “Food for Health”: Emphasize how proper nutrition prevents and can help reverse chronic diseases and maintain general health.
- “Real Food First”: Prioritize whole, minimally processed foods over packaged and highly processed alternatives.
- “Healthy Foods and Healthy Families”: Empower families with practical knowledge, including food preparation methods, to make healthy choices regardless of budget or location.
NIFA to Hold FAQ Session on AFRI Rapid Response Programs
NIFA Program staff for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative's two Rapid Response programs are inviting prospective applicants to attend a live session to learn more about the program area priorities, meet the team, and get answers to questions about the funding opportunities published in the FY 2026 AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Request for Applications.
The AFRI Rapid Response to Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems (A1712) program area priority is designed to rapidly identify and implement strategies to protect the Nation’s food and agricultural supply chains and the people who support them during and after extreme weather events.
The AFRI Rapid Response to Emerging and Re-emerging Pest and Disease Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems (A1713) program is designed to rapidly deploy strategies and fill knowledge and information gaps to protect the Nation’s food and agricultural supply chains and the people who support them during and after the emergence or re-emergence of pests and diseases associated with animal or plant production.
The session will be held from 1:00pm – 2:30pm EDT on September 30th.
USDA Announces Listening Sessions on Rural and Federal Veterinary Workforces
As part of USDA’s recently announced Rural Veterinary Action Plan, the department is holding two listening sessions to hear from key partners to determine what additional actions can be taken to address the current low percentage of veterinary students who have an interest in rural practice and large animal medicine with the goal of recruiting more veterinarians to USDA and rural areas.
USDA agencies represented will include:
- National Institute of Food and Agriculture
- Economic Research Service
- Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- Rural Development
Participants must register for the virtual listening session(s) in advance and indicate if they would like to verbally provide comments. The listening sessions will begin with a short update on the current veterinary landscape followed by stakeholder comments for the remainder of the meeting. To hear from as many participants as possible, we ask that speakers plan to limit their comments to 3 minutes or less. Participants and interested stakeholders unable to participate live may provide a written copy of their comments either before or after the listening sessions by sending them to eia@usda.gov.
To participate in a listening session, please register in advance using the link(s) below and provide your name, organization and email address. Participants may register for either or both sessions, which will focus on identical topics. Once you submit your information, you will promptly receive an email that includes the webinar link. Each listening session will be recorded.
Monday, September 29, 2025, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET
Topic: Barriers to Entry and Increased Recruitment for Rural and Federal Veterinary Workforces
Register for the September 29 Veterinary Workforce Listening Session
Tuesday, September 30, 2025, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET
Topic: Barriers to Entry and Increased Recruitment for Rural and Federal Veterinary Workforces
Register for the September 30 Veterinary Workforce Listening Session
