US Economy: GOP Lawmakers Urge Agriculture Department To Loosen Regulations On Meat Processors

A group of six Republican lawmakers have urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to loosen regulations on meat processors in order to even the playing field for smaller companies.

The lawmakers asked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in a letter to “revisit burdensome regulations that create barriers to entry and lessen competition in the nation’s meat processing industry.” The letter was signed by the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, along with Reps. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., Ken Buck, R-Colo., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla, Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., and W. Gregory Steube, R-Fla.

They asked to make it easier to allow smaller meat processors to sell across state lines and to streamline the approval process for meat labels.

In early May, President Trump asked the Department of Justice to investigate major meat processors due to concerns over illegal price-fixing activity amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The DOJ has so far issued investigative demands to Tyson Foods, JBS SA, Cargill, Inc., and National Beef Inc.

Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., praised the DOJ investigation last week.

“The reports of the Department of Justice’s continued investigation into the meatpacking industry is encouraging news for cattle ranchers across America,” Lucas said in a statement. “The coronavirus pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of America’s food supply chain and accentuated the challenges beef producers face with a market that is controlled by the actions of a few, mostly foreign-based firms.”