Proposed legislation would suspend all current and future U.S. meat and poultry plant line speed waivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, on July 28 introduced the Safe Line Speeds in COVID-19 Act. The bill was co-sponsored by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-California; Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts; Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont; Kamala Harris, D-California; Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon; and Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut.
In a press release, Booker said tens of thousands of workers at meatpacking plants in the United States have been infected by COVID-19, including more than 168 who have died since the middle of March.
“The situation has only worsened since the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved nearly 20 requests from meatpacking plants to exceed regulatory limits on line speeds despite the risks posed to workers, consumers and animal welfare. The USDA should be in the business of prioritizing worker and consumer safety over the profits of large multinational meatpacking corporations, not the other way around. The Safe Line Speeds in COVID-19 Act will rein in the USDA’s reckless oversight by limiting its ability to grant dangerous line speed waivers.”
According to the press release, for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration, the Safe Line Speeds in COVID-19 Act would:
- Suspend all active waivers issued by USDA related to line speeds at meat and poultry establishments and suspend USDA’s authority to issue new waivers in this area
- Suspend implementation of, and conversion to, the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System established under USDA’s final rule published on Oct. 1, 2019 titled, Modernization of Swine Slaughter Inspection
- Prohibit USDA from using federal funds to develop, proposed, finalize, issue, amend, or implement any policy, regulation, directive, constituent update, or any other agency program that would increase line speeds at meat and poultry establishments
- Ensure the provisions of the bill are in addition to, not in lieu of, any state laws or regulations designed to further protect worker safety or animal welfare beyond what this bill provides
- Require the Government Accountability Office to review the effectiveness of various actions taken by USDA, the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and meat and poultry establishments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to protect animal, food, and worker safety
- Require USDA, DOL, and HHS to issue a report to Congress by December 31, 2020, including their respective actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to protect animal, food, and worker safety.
Similar legislation in House
Booker’s proposal is companion legislation to a bill that was proposed in the United States House of Representatives on July 9. That bill was introduced by Reps. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio; Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, and Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi.
“The meat and poultry processing industry has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with infection hotspots appearing in plants across the country,” Fudge stated. “Fast line speeds make the dangerous conditions workers at these plants already face even worse by packing them closer together and placing them at greater risk of contracting or spreading the virus. Waiving limits on processing speeds also threatens the safety of our food supply. As COVID-19 cases continue to soar at processing plants, we must prioritize worker, food, and animal safety over increased production and profits.”
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