National Pork Producers Council

On Thursday, President Trump expressed disappointment regarding the ongoing stalemate in the development of new COVID-relief legislation, saying his lead negotiator “hasn’t come home with the bacon.” Without immediate relief for hog farmers in crisis, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin may not be the only one not bringing home the bacon, NPPC said in a statement issued Friday afternoon. “We’ve lost hog farmers of all sizes due to the COVID pandemic and need additional relief to preserve a highly competitive pork production system in the United States,” said NPPC President Howard A.V. Roth, a hog farmer from Wauzeka, Wisconsin. Meantime, as the president’s comments indicated, prospects for a new COVID relief package continued to dwindle this week. Negotiations between Mnuchin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) continue, but there has been little progress on areas of agreement. In one glimmer of hope though, the two sides are close to agreeing on a national testing plan. Earlier this month, the Democrat-controlled House passed a $2.2 trillion aid package and last week, the White House countered with a $1.8 trillion proposal, which Pelosi has already rejected. In related news, on Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters he wouldn’t accept a package between $1.8 trillion and $2.2 trillion. Instead, he prefers a more targeted approach, planning for the Senate to vote next week on a $500 billion package that includes replenishment of the Paycheck Protection Program. Read NPPC’s press release here.