President Joe Biden [https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/12/01/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-congressional-action-to-avert-a-rail-shutdown/] signed into law an agreement that effectively ends the threat of a U.S. rail strike. The agreement provides new benefits for rail workers, but most importantly, it avoids what could have been a devastating situation for all Americans and U.S. businesses, including animal food manufacturers, ahead of the busiest shipping season of the year.
Following the House’s passage of the bill on Wednesday and the Senate’s action yesterday, the American Feed Industry Association’s Constance Cullman said:
“No one empathizes with the struggles of maintaining a committed workforce like the U.S. animal food industry but slowing or stopping the transport of goods via rail threatens the livelihoods of those hardworking Americans well beyond our nation’s tracks. We thank Congress and the Biden administration for their leadership in brokering a deal that keeps all trains running on time for the greater good of America and the food and agricultural community.”
Without efficient and stable modes of transportation to move animal food and ingredients, crop inputs or any machinery or supplies necessary in the manufacture of animal food via the nation’s railways, farmers and pet owners were at risk of being unable to reliably feed their livestock, poultry and pets. The U.S. animal food industry is responsible for delivering an estimated 284 million tons of safe, high quality and nutritious animal food to the marketplace for domestic livestock and pets to consume.
Thank you to all our members who wrote to your members of Congress in support of this legislation. For questions, contact AFIA's Leah Wilkinson at [email protected].
