TEXT:

“Half of these meatpacking giants, including the largest meatpacker in the world, are either foreign owned or have significant foreign ownership and control, making them a threat not just to our cattle producers, but a threat to America itself.”

“And as time has gone on, it becomes more and more clear that food security is truly national security.”

“The brutal reality is that such foreign ownership of meatpackers has been affiliated not just with corruption, but also cartels and as recent as last week, slave labor, which is bad enough on its own, but it’s also to the detriment of America’s great independent ranchers and consumers.”

“Further, when just four firms control a market, suppliers and food prices are rocked heavily when disruptions occur.”

“President Trump is acutely aware of these challenges as evidenced by his true social directive last November, directing the Department of Justice to investigate the big four meatpackers for potential collusion and price manipulation. Ensuring these practices do not happen will protect both producers and consumers.”