WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) and House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) issued the following statement applauding USDA’s proposed rules to update federal line speed regulations in poultry and swine processing establishments:
“We are pleased to see USDA take this next step to modernize and provide much needed certainty to our pork and poultry supply chains. America’s meat and poultry companies continue to set the gold standard worldwide for food and worker safety. These proposed rules, grounded in decades of research, will ensure our regulatory system reflects the latest science by establishing a long-term pathway for eligible producers to operate at increased line speeds, improving efficiency while maintaining the same rigorous food and worker safety standards. We look forward to continuing to work with the administration as the rulemaking process continues.”
Background:
In 2023, Senate and House Republicans called on USDA to provide certainty to meat and poultry plants throughout the department’s implementation of the Time-Limited Trials and to provide a path forward that would allow them to operate at increased line speeds. Senate Republicans’ Farm Bill framework announced in 2024 would provide a permanent solution to ensure pork and poultry processing facilities are able to maintain full and operational capacity.
