U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is urging President Trump to take immediate action to amend his Executive Order on meat processing facilities.
Baldwin says facilities should be permitted to reopen only after they have met all the health and safety guidelines issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
President Trump recently used the Defense Production Act to compel meat processing facilities to remain open despite poor safety and health standards at those facilities, which have led to documented COVID-19 infections and worker fatalities, according to Baldwin.
In a letter with Senate colleges, Baldwin and others say, “Failure to take action to protect these workers is not only a threat to their lives, but also to the public health of their communities,” the Senators demanded the Trump administration do more to protect these workers, the public health of their communities, farmers and livestock producers, and the nation’s food supply chain.