Washington, DC - Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta issued the following statement Friday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) request for public comment on how best to invest American Rescue Plan funds to improve competition and resiliency in the meatpacking industry:

“The Justice Department commends the USDA for today’s step toward spurring new entry and increasing competition in meatpacking. USDA’s efforts align with the department’s commitment to vigorously enforcing the antitrust laws in the agriculture industry. The antitrust laws work best when paired with robust government policies to ensure that new competitors can successfully enter and challenge entrenched incumbents.”