Agricultural and Rural Road Improvement Program Act

1. General interest in the ingredients used in pet food, and modernizing the outdated regulatory processes for pet food and pet food products. 2. Supports H.R. 597: The Pet Food Uniform Regulatory Reform Act of 2025; Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to clarify and update the authority of the Food and Drug Administration to ensure national uniformity in the regulation of the labels, labeling, and advertising of companion animal pet food. 3. General efforts to prevent diseases, like High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and African Swine Fever (ASF). 4. Supportive of H.R. 1086: Agriculture Export Promotion Act of 2025; which would expand and extend the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program through FY2029. 5. Supported Luke Lindberg's nomination to be the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the US Department of Agriculture. 6. Concerned about USDA's hiring freeze and other headcount reduction policies that could have unintended consequences on the animal food sector and its customers. Requested the Department consider lifting headcount reduction policies, especially for user-fee funded positions at APHIS and FSIS. 7. Supported Dudley Hoskins to be the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the US Department of Agriculture. 8. Supported passage of H.R. 4121: The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, FY2026. 9. Supports passage of H.R. 4601: Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act; Directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue certain regulations to amend certain regulations with respect to farm-related service industry restricted commercial drivers licenses. 10. Supports passage of S. 2909: Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act; Requires the Secretary of Transportation to revise certain regulations with respect to farm-related service industry restricted commercial drivers licenses. 11. Supported the National Organic Program: Market Development for Mushrooms and Pet Food published in late December 2024. This rule and associated regulations supported pet food makers by establishing a standard to allow the use of the USDA Organic seal on the labels of finished pet food products. Concerned about now rescinding the new rule, which we believe will be a step backwards by reintroducing a confusing and burdensome process that will continue to inhibit the growth of the organic pet food marketplace. 12. Supports maintaining USDAs core international trade policy functions-including those within the Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs (TFAA) and other relevant USDA staff-in Washington, D.C. 13. Supports passage of H.R. 4585: Agricultural and Rural Road Improvement Program Act; Amends title 23, United States Code, to establish an agricultural and rural road improvement program. 14. Supports the nomination of Dr. Julie Callahan as Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. 15. Supports the key priorities in USDA's National Farm Security Action Plan and recognize USDAs Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA) as the ideal agency to lead this effort. 16. Concerned about the fact that the United States vitamin manufacturing is nearly non-existent, leaving it reliant on imports from China which dominates global vitamin manufacturing. This action has created a dependency that poses a significant threat to our national food security, agricultural community, and public health. Supports Congressional efforts and the Trump Administration to lessen the overreliance on China for the production of critical nutrients that are essential to both human health and animal agriculture. 17. Supported passage of H.R. 5371: Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, FY2026.

Client expense: $160,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, President of the U.S., SENATE, Transportation, Dept of (DOT), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)

1. General interest in the ingredients used in pet food, and modernizing the outdated regulatory processes for pet food and pet food products. 2. Supports H.R. 597: The Pet Food Uniform Regulatory Reform Act of 2025; Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to clarify and update the authority of the Food and Drug Administration to ensure national uniformity in the regulation of the labels, labeling, and advertising of companion animal pet food. 3. General efforts to prevent diseases, like High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and African Swine Fever (ASF). 4. Supportive of H.R. 1086: Agriculture Export Promotion Act of 2025; which would expand and extend the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program through FY2029. 5. Supports Luke Lindberg's nomination to be the next Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the US Department of Agriculture. 6. Concerned about USDA's hiring freeze and other headcount reduction policies that could have unintended consequences on the animal food sector and its customers. We request the Department consider lifting headcount reduction policies, especially for user-fee funded positions at APHIS and FSIS. 7. Supports Dudley Hoskins to be the next Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the US Department of Agriculture. 8. Supports passage of H.R. 4121: The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, FY2026. 9. Supports passage of H.R. 4601: Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act; Directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue certain regulations to amend certain regulations with respect to farm-related service industry restricted commercial drivers licenses. 10. Supports passage of S. 2909: Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act; Requires the Secretary of Transportation to revise certain regulations with respect to farm-related service industry restricted commercial drivers licenses. 11. Supported the National Organic Program: Market Development for Mushrooms and Pet Food published in late December 2024. This rule and associated regulations supported pet food makers by establishing a standard to allow the use of the USDA Organic seal on the labels of finished pet food products. Concerned about now rescinding the new rule, which we believe will be a step backwards by reintroducing a confusing and burdensome process that will continue to inhibit the growth of the organic pet food marketplace. 12. Supports maintaining USDAs core international trade policy functions-including those within the Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs (TFAA) and other relevant USDA staff-in Washington, D.C. 13. Supports passage of H.R. 4585: Agricultural and Rural Road Improvement Program Act; Amends title 23, United States Code, to establish an agricultural and rural road improvement program. 14. Supports the nomination of Dr. Julie Callahan as Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. 15. Supports the key priorities in USDA's National Farm Security Action Plan and recognize USDAs Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA) as the ideal agency to lead this effort.

Highway Bill / Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Federal-Aid Highway Program Funding (Congress, DOT) H.R. 4585, Agricultural & Rural Road Improvement Program Act (Congress, DOT) H.R. 4601, Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act (Congress) S. 2108 & H.R. 2920, VARIANCE Act (Congress) Truck Weight Modernization (Congress) Infrastructure Permitting Reform (Congress) Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, including Hours of Service (Congress, DOT) Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety Regulations, including Nurse Tank Safety (Congress, DOT) Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works (USACE) navigation program funding and execution (Congress, USACE) Unintroduced Legislation - Water Resources Development Act (Congress) Railroad rate, practice, and service issues (Surface Transportation Board, Congress) S. 2104, Reliable Rail Service Act of 2025 (Congress) Rail Safety and Technology Policy (Congress, DOT) Confirmation hearings for nominees for the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (Congress) Heavy Duty Vehicles

Client expense: $243,295 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Federal Railroad Administration, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, Surface Transportation Board (STB), Transportation, Dept of (DOT), White House Office