U.S. Congresswoman Liz Cheney (WY-R) and 23 of her House colleagues sent a letter this week to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to expand the availability of meat inspectors. The letter comes in addition to legislation sponsored by Cheney last year that would allow state-inspected meat to be sold across state lines, allowing ranchers and livestock producers to get their product to the open marketplace which would expand supply and bring down costs.
According to Cheney, the letter sent Tuesday was in response to the Biden Administration’s plan to increase competition in the meat and poultry supply chain as the price of meat and poultry continues to burden American consumers. The letter states that Biden’s proposed $1 billion plan to address the issue looks nice on its face, it is only a short-term fix and a long term solution is needed to give the small and independent processors the certainty they need to operate their businesses long after the grant funding is no longer available. In the letter, the Representatives ask that the Administration address the concerns set forth in the letter by February 15. The full letter can be read here
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Last modified: January 20, 2022