If Vice President Biden’s election is confirmed, we anticipate a somewhat more assertive regulatory posture in certain areas to develop over time.

As some of you may recall, the Obama Administration was very active on nutrition issues. Participants will recall that First Lady Michelle Obama was very engaged on those issues.

One item that remains pending from that initiative is a definition of the term “healthy.” The outcome of this rulemaking is tremendously important to many of our clients, not just because they want to understand the definition, but because they need certainty around the question. We don’t know with any certainty why it has been held so long, but, if politics had anything to do with it, that may no longer be an issue as of Tuesday.

Another key issue in the food space is the rapidly growing market for alternative proteins. Plant-based meat alternatives are so popular and mainstream you can get them for breakfast at Dunkin Doughnuts and for lunch at Burger King.

The next shoe to drop in this space is cultured meat. We are still years away from seeing cultured meat in our grocery stores, but the day is coming. While the regulatory jurisdictional tussle between United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and FDA was resolved a while ago, we should watch for legislative activity in this space. These products are true market disrupters, which will impact quite a few stakeholders.

Please note that on general nutrition claims, some people thought the Trump Administration would do more to relax requirements than it actually has. The dietary guidelines update is still pending. Last time they came out in late January.

Photo of Gabe Neville Gabe Neville

Gabe Neville, a non-lawyer, helps Covington’s clients navigate the complexities of federal policymaking.

Gabe helps clients in various sectors understand individual policymakers and the legislative and regulatory tools they can use to advance their agendas. Using an intimate knowledge of the government gained…

Gabe Neville, a non-lawyer, helps Covington’s clients navigate the complexities of federal policymaking.

Gabe helps clients in various sectors understand individual policymakers and the legislative and regulatory tools they can use to advance their agendas. Using an intimate knowledge of the government gained over a nearly twenty-year period as a Congressional staffer, he helps clients proactively engage the legislative and executive branches of government. He also advises clients on responding to congressional inquiries and invitations to testify.

Gabe joined Covington after nearly two decades as a senior congressional staffer, most recently serving as chief of staff for Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Pitts (R, PA-16). He previously worked for the Pennsylvania state legislature, and managed several successful political campaigns. After managing Congressman Pitts’ first campaign for Congress, he served the congressman as press secretary and then as chief of staff. In that role, he advised the congressman on a wide range of issues, with special attention to the range of health, energy, and telecommunications issues that come before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Other issues Gabe engaged in range from agriculture to human rights.

As chief of staff to a leading conservative, Gabe also developed deep relationships within the conservative movement. He frequently chaired meetings of the Values Action Team (VAT) and attended meetings of the Republican Study Committee (RSC). Gabe continues to work with these and other right-of-center organizations in Congress, including the House Freedom Caucus.

While on Capitol Hill, Gabe worked closely with the members and staff of the Health Subcommittee while Congressman Pitts chaired that panel. The subcommittee oversees a wide range of government health programs and issues, including public health; hospital construction; mental health and research; biomedical programs and health protection in general, including public and private health insurance; food and drugs; and drug abuse. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over federal agencies responsible for public health programs, regulation, and administration. They include the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and others.

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