WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today issued the following statement after reports that President Donald Trump plans to use the Defense Production Act to order meatpacking companies to stay open during the pandemic.
“The way we keep our food supply chain safe is to keep our workers safe. Last week, I called on the Trump Administration to implement a proactive plan to protect workers and our food supply, and once again they have failed.
First and foremost, we need to protect essential employees in order to continue food production and processing. Instead of using the Defense Production Act in a way that could put workers at risk, it should be used to produce supplies that will protect employees and our nation’s food supply.
The President’s shortsighted action could put more workers in harm’s way and continue to damage our food processing capacity.”
Last week, 36 Democratic Senators led by Stabenow urged the Trump Administration to take action to help ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply and protect essential workers in the food supply chain.
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