U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman and House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson have expressed support for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed updates to federal line speed regulations in poultry and swine processing facilities.
In a joint statement, Boozman and Thompson said: “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.”
The background provided notes that in 2023, Senate and House Republicans urged USDA to offer clear guidance for meat and poultry plants during implementation of Time-Limited Trials, seeking a path that would let them run at higher line speeds. The Senate Republicans’ Farm Bill framework announced in 2024 aims to deliver a permanent solution so pork and poultry processing facilities can keep operating at full capacity.
The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee is responsible for addressing food, nutrition, hunger, rural affairs both domestically and internationally, as well as overseeing agricultural policies such as crop insurance, human nutrition, forestry resources, pests management, pesticides regulation, conservation efforts, commodity supports and food safety through hearings and legislative reviews according to its official website. The committee consists of 23 senators who work on bipartisan oversight. It also features five subcommittees focused on areas including commodities, rural development, conservation practices, food security programs and livestock safety.
John Boozman currently serves as chair of this committee with Amy Klobuchar acting as ranking member. The committee was established in 1825 as part of the U.S. Senate's standing committees tasked with managing agricultural matters nationwide.
