A new push to rein in meatpacking companies is turning Republicans against each other.
Beef is displayed in the meat department at Lambert's Rainbow Market, in Westwood, Mass. on June 15. | Charles Krupa/AP PhotoAfter years of failed attempts, Washington lawmakers are closer than they’ve ever been to mandating more competition in the American beef industry — which is dominated by four big meatpackers that control how most cattle are bought and sold.
“You got to think behind all this is the political power of the big four packers,” Sen. Chuck Grassley said on a call with reporters. | Tom Williams/Pool via AP At the national level, the two groups said the measure amounts to unwanted government intervention and they argue it could actually end up adding a financial burden on some producers. Several state-level Farm Bureau groups support the legislation.
Boozman said in an interview that he’s been trying to gather more information because the meat industry is split on the issue and he doesn’t think the committee should rush such sweeping reforms into law without knowing more about the possible economic impacts. As the bill has hit resistance, Republican backers of the legislation and their aides have started to raise questions as to whether the connections committee members and staff have to the meat industry are part of the reason for the holdup.
Keys did not respond to a request for comment. A Republican committee spokesperson said committee staff have been working “hand-in-hand” with the bill’s sponsors since the bill’s introduction last November and that Chandler Keys hasn’t lobbied Boozman or any committee staff about any issue during Boozman’s tenure as ranking member. Boozman also said concerns about conflicts of interest among his committee staff did not have merit.
Boozman, however, isn’t the only Republican who’s expressed skepticism about the legislation in its current form.
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