Rep. Balint Cosponsors Legislation to Break Up Meatpacking Monopolies, Drive Down Grocery Costs

This press release from Representative Becca Balint (D-VT) was published on 2026-07-20 and titled "Rep. Balint Cosponsors Legislation to Break Up Meatpacking Monopolies, Drive Down Grocery Costs".

Rep. Balint Cosponsors Legislation to Break Up Meatpacking Monopolies, Drive Down Grocery Costs

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), founding member of the Monopoly Busters Caucus and member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, cosponsored legislation introduced by Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), and Pat Ryan (NY-18), co-chairs of the Monopoly Busters Caucus, to break up dominant meatpacking monopolies, rein in foreign-controlled corporate giants, and end unfair pricing practices that raise costs for American families and box out local farmers and ranchers. The legislation, the Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act , is bicameral, introduced in the Senate by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “Families are paying more at the grocery store while giant corporations rake in record profits and squeeze the farmers and ranchers who feed our country,” said Rep. Balint. "A handful of meatpacking giants shouldn’t be able to control our food supply and drive up costs for working people. We need to break up these monopolies, restore competition, and build a food system that works for our families and our independent farmers.” “Massive corporations are driving up prices, making it unaffordable for working people to put food on the table,” said Rep. Jayapal . “It is a failure of our government to have allowed these corporate interests to swallow up the market, raising costs and putting hundreds of thousands of family farms out of business in the process. This bill is a critical step to level the playing field — to give independent ranchers and farmers a fair shot while ultimately lowering grocery bills for American families.” “Meatpacking monopolies are crushing hard-working small farmers, ranchers, and business owners—and are jacking up food prices for all of us,” said Congressman Deluzio. “In the richest country in the history of the world that likes our meat, we can’t let it become a luxury good. Let’s pass this bill to break up these monopolies and bring some relief to everyone they’re squeezing at the grocery store right now.” “Every time we walk into the grocery store, Hudson Valley families are getting squeezed by high prices because a few greedy corporations are raking in record-breaking profits. That’s unacceptable. Instead of taking on the monopolies driving up costs, like the four meatpacking companies that dominate the market, our fundamentally broken system rewards their greed while punishing our family-run grocers, farms, and restaurants,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “As the President’s wars and tariffs hurt our small businesses, we should be focused on lowering costs, strengthening our supply chains, and putting working families ahead of corporate special interests. This bill would break up the monopolies jacking up costs and give our local grocers and farms some extra support. I'll keep fighting to crack down on price gouging, take on greedy monopolies, and make sure every family can afford to put food on the table.” “Trump keeps driving prices higher and higher. The American people are rightfully fed up,” said Leader Schumer. “Every visit to the grocery store has turned into relentless sticker shock for working families. It’s a consequence of Trump’s failed economic policies and the stranglehold the meatpacking monopoly holds over supply chains and grocery stores. Democrats in the Senate and House are united in bringing down costs for consumers, and I’m proud to champion the Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act to tackle the skyrocketing food costs and deliver the relief working families demand and deserve. Consolidation in the meatpacking industry is rampant. For instance, 85 percent of the U.S. beef market is controlled by just four companies: Cargill, JBS, Tyson, and the National Beef Packing Company. This corporate consolidation allows these giants to unfairly extract value and take home maximum profits at the expense of farmers and consumers. The Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act imposes structural reforms to restore competition to the industry. Specifically, it: Makes it unlawful for a major meatpacking conglomerate to control more than one major type of meat, i.e. , pork, chicken, beef; Imposes hard caps on the concentration of beef markets at both the regional and national levels and authorizes the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to order divestiture from the market if those caps are exceeded; Prohibits foreign leverage over the domestic meat market, empowering FTC to protect competition and national security; Directs the FTC to enforce against discriminatory pricing practices in retail and wholesale meat markets that hit independent and neighborhood grocers the hardest; Authorizes the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide financial assistance, loan guarantees, and technical assistance to farmers’ cooperatives and small business concerns to acquire meatpacking facilities divested under the Act; and Creates enforceable penalties for corporations that fail to properly divest, enforceable under the FTC Act. This legislation bu