President Donald Trump is facing criticism for invoking the Defense Production Act to keep meat processing plants open amid coronavirus concerns.
Shortly after the president made the announcement while meeting with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fl.), he was met with opposition.
Many lawmakers and healthcare workers have expressed frustration about Trump’s decision to use the executive order for meat plants while hesitating to use the act for medical supplies.
Wow, Trump doesn’t invoke Defense Production Act for PPEs for HCWs, but he does invoke DPA for meat 🥩 products?! Both important but, I’m gonna go on a limb and say MASKS >>> meat. #COVID19 https://t.co/Ug2kizNaP8
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) April 28, 2020
The president is signing an executive order using the Defense Production Act for meat processing before consumers see shortages. What did the administration not use the Act for as medical professionals across the US were suffering critical shortages? #PPEhttps://t.co/pO6jMgq1fD
— Kira Newman, MD, PhD (@KiraNewmanMDPhD) April 29, 2020
Those who have expressed frustration have also accused the president of previously ignoring the public outcry to use the executive order to make more N95 masks and ventilators.
That Trump dragged his feet to invoke the Defense Production Act to make ventilators but he’ll use it to make porkchops says so much about this country’s priorities. (It is also not a coincidence that this is an industry that has a largely immigrant & refugee workforce.) https://t.co/kCh7FpCTGc
— Christy Thornton (@llchristyll) April 28, 2020
Trump has not used the Defense Production Act to ensure that we have sufficient protective equipment or tests for COVID-19, but he will use it to require the production of something even more essential … meat! https://t.co/Z70PdSpdyG
— Barb McQuade (@BarbMcQuade) April 29, 2020
Trump made the decision on Tuesday to invoke the Defense Production Act to keep meat processing plants open despite coronavirus outbreaks being the reason for the initial closures. The executive order is a means of preventing a possible nationwide food shortage and avoid disruption to the supply chain.
“Such closures threaten the continued functioning of the national meat and poultry supply chain, undermining critical infrastructure during the national emergency,” the order read.
The decision has not only been met with opposition by Twitter users but also by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW). Shortly after Trump’s executive order, the union released a statement.
“While we share the concern over the food supply, today’s executive order to force meatpacking plants to stay open must put the safety of our country’s meatpacking workers first,” the statement read.
Smithfield Foods Inc., Tyson Foods, Cargill Inc, and JBS USA are considered the largest meat processing plants in the world. Several plants shut down due to coronavirus outbreaks in the workplace.
In fact, South Dakota’s Smithfield pork processing plant was shutting down nearly two weeks ago after over 230 workers tested positive for the coronavirus.
As of Wednesday morning, there are more than 1,035,000 coronavirus cases in the United States as the death toll approaches 60,000.