Two of President Obama’s prosepects to join the Food Safety Inspection Service would apparently need a waiver to deal with pressing issues, in light of the Obama administration’s position on former lobbyists working in their subject area of expertise within the previous year. 

Ms. [Barbara] Masters and Ms. [Caroline] Smith DeWaal would have a problem operating under such a rule because both lobbied directly on food-safety matters. It is unclear how either of the women, if appointed, could remove herself from discussions that lie at the very heart of the position’s list of duties, which is to oversee USDA inspectors at slaughter, food-processing and import sites.

The only answer, experts say, is a very broad waiver of the new restriction – in effect, a suspension of the rule if either is chosen for the job.