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The Office of the Inspector General of the USDA will initiate an audit of actions and policies of the Department with respect to spread of COVID-19 in meat processing facilities. The action was initiated by Senator Michael Bennett (D-CO), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. In commenting on the proposed investigation by the USDA, Senator Bennett stated, “Earlier in the pandemic, meat processing plants saw some of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections, harming a workforce predominately comprised of immigrants, refugees, and people of color and raising serious questions about any Federal actions that may have contributed to the spread of the virus in these facilities.”
Terms of reference for the USDA OIG investigation will include:
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Sen. Michael Bennett
(D-CO) |
- Response to the April 28th, 2020 Presidential Executive Order mandating that food plants remain functional in terms of the Defense Production Act
- Action taken by the USDA to protect the health of inspectors
- USDA role in communicating standards and procedures as developed by CDC and cooperation with state departments of health
 Senator Bennett has been outspoken in demanding that the previous Administration protect essential workers, implementing testing and quarantine and providing effective PPE.
It is a contention of Senator Bennett that the Executive Order obligated owners to operate their plants, but that the USDA was negligent in not ensuring that protective measures were enforced.
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