No images? Click here Food and Beverage Issue Alliance (FBIA) Updates Decision Tool for COVID-19 Case Scenarios FBIA represents fifty-eight allied U.S. based Food and Beverage Trade Associations, including GCCA. FBIA, through collaboration with regulatory authorities, ensures that any regulations and guidance are justified by verifiable, peer reviewed, published science that is accessible through an open and transparent process and enhance consumer understanding. With the delta variant emerging and new CDC and OSHA guidance being issued, FBIA has updated their decision tool to help those in the food sector make informed decisions on how best to handle potential COVID-19 cases. View the updated decision tool for COVID-19 case scenarios HERE Food Assistance Program to get Permanent Boost Under Biden AdministrationOn Monday, August 16, 2021, the Biden administration unveiled a major permanent increase to the food stamp benefits that help 42 million Americans buy groceries — a record bump up for one of the country’s largest safety net programs. The average monthly benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will be roughly 27 percent higher than they were before the pandemic, starting Oct. 1, according to an administration official. That comes out to an increase to about $157 per person versus the $121 per person pre-pandemic. The change comes right as millions of households were set to face a benefits cliff, as the current 15 percent pandemic plus-up that Congress authorized at the end of last year is set to expire Sept. 30. The Biden administration is increasing the benefits by updating what’s known as the Thrifty Food Plan, the Agriculture Department’s calculation for what it costs to buy a nutritious diet with minimal resources. Read more about this update HERE.
Pelosi Suggests Tying Infrastructure Plan and $3.5 Trillion Budget ResolutionHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi floated a potential compromise to moderate Democrats who are threatening to withhold critical support from a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint unless they’re also allowed to vote on a separate, bipartisan infrastructure package. Pelosi’s proposal, in a letter to rank-and-file Democrats on Sunday, involves allowing a procedural vote next week on the $550 billion infrastructure bill to appease their demands, as well as an already planned vote to advance the more expansive Senate budget framework. Pelosi’s offer seeks to satisfy at least nine moderates who have been threatening to unravel plans for moving President Joe Biden’s agenda through Congress. Even so, such a vote would appear to fall short of the group’s demand to Pelosi last week for an immediate passage of the infrastructure bill. Her proposal reflects conflicting pressures on Pelosi within her Democratic caucus. Progressives are demanding that she hold up a vote on the infrastructure package until the Senate completes a final version of the bigger budget package to ensure it addresses their priorities on social programs and climate change. With the narrow House Democratic majority, Pelosi can’t lose more than three votes from her party against anticipated Republican opposition. FreightWaves discussion with GCCALast week, GCCA's Lowell Randel, Senior VP of Government and Legal Affairs, spoke during the FreightWaves Cold Chain Summit about the regulatory and other issues facing the global supply chain today. You can watch the whole conversation HERE. Call to Action: Nominate a Cold Chain Champion Do you have a colleague who you believe performs exceptional work and deserves special recognition? We are highlighting our members and their achievements on social media. Nominate yourself, your company, or your colleague for a chance to be spotlighted as a #ColdChainChampion! Submit nominations, a short explanation, and a photo to Rachael Oury at roury@gcca.org. |