By Jennifer Hatcher, Chief Public Policy Officer and Senior Vice President, Government Relations, FMI
The 118th Congress has now been in session for over a month, and lawmakers are settling into their new roles and responsibilities, adjusted committee rosters and in some cases, updated office space. With new perspectives on Capitol Hill comes new legislative priorities and strategies for FMI and the food industry.
In January, FMI’s Board of Directors ranked a set of policy priorities for the food industry for the months ahead in 2023 and beyond. The Board selected five key advocacy areas that are expected to have a significant impact on the industry with policy implications in Washington.
- Labor – Workforce Supply and Regulatory Enforcement
- Food Safety – Traceability
- Payments – Swipe Fee Reform; Credit Card Competition
- Pharmacy – PBM Reform
- Economy and Inflation
The top priorities designated by our Board only tell part of the policy story. FMI’s government relations team and our members are engaged on both the legislative and regulatory sides of the issue, at the federal, state and local levels of government, working on other important industry issues, including reauthorization of the Farm Bill, strengthening federal nutrition assistance programs and addressing ongoing supply chain challenges.
FMI's Government Relations Committee was in Washington, D.C. last week for a policy discussion and planning session for the new year and the new Congress and to further discuss the industry’s priorities. Following the committee meeting, FMI hosted a Welcome to Congress reception for our members and newly elected lawmakers at FMI's townhouse on Capitol Hill to introduce members of Congress to the food industry and educate them about our priorities.
Thank you to our Board of Directors, the retail, wholesale and product supplier members of our Government Relations Committee and the membership as a whole for your participation in the advocacy process. Your feedback, stories and time commitment further strengthens our efforts to enhance the industry’s voice in Washington. We look forward to working with your companies on these issues in the months ahead.
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