Keystone Today

House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Ranking Member John Boozman have commented on recent studies conducted by the USDA. These studies examined the relationship between line speeds in poultry and swine processing facilities and worker safety. The findings indicated no significant correlation.

In their joint statement, Thompson and Boozman expressed satisfaction with the study outcomes. "It’s reassuring to see independent studies proving that higher line speeds are not a leading factor in risks to worker safety in pork and poultry processing plants," they said. They also highlighted that U.S. meat and poultry companies maintain high standards for both worker safety and food safety.

However, they criticized the Biden-Harris administration for allegedly overstepping the original scope of the studies, stating it was an attempt to "villainize the industry." They emphasized their readiness to collaborate with the incoming Trump administration to create long-term strategies ensuring meat and poultry companies can operate safely while maintaining production efficiency.

The background context notes that Senate and House Republicans had previously urged USDA to provide clear guidelines for meat and poultry plants during Time-Limited Trials implementation. In 2024, Senate Republicans proposed a Farm Bill framework intended to offer permanent solutions for these facilities to function at full capacity.