Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02) issued a statement critical of the Democrats’ H.R. 7606, which would create an office within the Department of Agriculture with an order to investigate meat packers and poultry processors and conduct independent litigation against packers and dealers.
Moore claimed that these additional layers of bureaucracy would leave producers more beholden to the whims of the federal government and threaten them with lawsuits from a new USDA police force for non-compliance.
“Farmers are pleading for help from Biden’s economic catastrophe, but Democrats’ only solution is badges, bureaucracy, and Big Brother,” said Moore. “Instead of punishing those in the packing industry and deputizing bureaucrats to force more rules and regulations on the American people, we should be doing all we can to slice red tape, repair the broken supply chain, and end the federal government overspending fueling historic inflation.”
The Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act, H.R. 7606, was combined with five additional Agriculture bills and two Energy & Commerce bills into an omnibus package, rebranded by House Democratic leadership as the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act.
Moore’s office said that America's farm families and consumers are struggling with fractured supply chains, skyrocketing input costs, and historic levels of inflation, each of which continue to contribute to increased food prices and diminished inventories. The ongoing conflict has further disrupted the global food system, exacerbating increased energy prices, fertilizer cost spikes and shortages, and worsening food shortages in developing countries.
Moore argued that the Democrat Majority and Biden Administration have pursued a spending and regulatory agenda that compounds the situation and further limits American farmers’ ability to meet global food demand. Moore accused the administration of scapegoating private industry rather than addressing the very real needs and concerns of farm families and rural America.
Moore’s office said that the new investigator would be granted “independent litigation authority” allowing them carte blanche power to file civil suits against packers at the whims of the Secretary without any coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ) — a longstanding practice required under current law.
The E&C portions of the bill would waive requirements to allow E-15 gasoline and higher biofuels blends to be blended and sold commercially year-round and authorizes $400 million in grants for building, installing, or upgrading biofuels infrastructure.
This package continues the Democrats’ trend of increasing spending to address a problem, including $700 million in supplemental authorizations for the Biden Administration without offsets.
Republicans claim that these record levels of federal spending, at a time when the country is not at war and there is full employment, is a major contributor to the inflation pressures on the economy and any additional spending at this point will only make inflation and supply chain issues worse, they say.
The Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act, H.R. 7606, is sponsored by Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-Virginia).
“Congress cannot shy away from addressing the urgent economic challenges that our local communities and our entire country — and that challenge continues to be inflation,” said Spanberger on the floor of the U.S House. “We know how rising prices, consolidation across industries, and supply chain challenges are impacting America’s families, businesses, and seniors. And as lawmakers, our job is to listen to the people we represent — and then respond with legislation that can help solve those problems. And indeed, this package — the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act — is just that.”
The Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act passed the House on Thursday and now goes to the Senate.
Moore is in his first term representing Alabama’s Second Congressional District.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandon.moseley@1819News.com.
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