The House will vote this Thursday on the “Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act of 2022 [Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act],” H.R. 7606.
The legislation is the latest messaging bill from House Democrats designed to distract the public from their own runaway spending that contributed to the highest level of inflation since December 1981. The bill would create a debt-funded office within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) lead by a “special investigator” tasked with harassing the American meat industry with litigation without any sign off from the Department of Justice.
Americans for Tax Reform strongly opposes the creation of the Meat Police and urges all lawmakers to vote “NO” on H.R. 7606.
Details:
The “Meat and Poultry Special Investigator” would be appointed by the Agriculture Secretary without Senate confirmation and granted sweeping litigation authority to investigate meat packers and live poultry dealers for anti-completive practices, which Democrats allege without evidence.
Here it is straight from the bill’s text:
Sec. 217(b) Special Investigator For Competition Matters.—The Office shall be headed by the Special Investigator for Competition Matters (referred to in this section as the ‘Special Investigator’), who shall be a senior career employee appointed by the Secretary.
“(c) Duties.—The Special Investigator shall—
“(1) use all available tools, including subpoenas, to investigate and prosecute violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), by packers and live poultry dealers with respect to competition and trade practices in the food and agriculture sector;
Additionally, the bill would spend $700 million subsidizing “nutrient management” and “renewable fuel infrastructure,” according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office.
The bill would also authorize the year-round sale of E15 grade ethanol fuel, a policy which even President Biden has called “ineffective” while privately expressing concerns that Democrats have “exaggerated ethanol’s ability to cut gas prices,” according to the Washington Post.
The bill does nothing to address historic inflation or the supply chain disruption that have led to soaring prices for consumers. Instead, the bill attempts to scapegoat the American meat and poultry industries for rising prices by further politicizing agencies and increasing the size of government.
Americans for Tax Reform urges a “NO” vote on H.R. 7606.