Sioux Empire Today

U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson, Josh Riley, Pat Harrigan, and Kristen McDonald Rivet have introduced the Lowering Egg Prices Act. The legislation aims to reduce egg costs for consumers, provide relief to poultry farmers, and eliminate bureaucratic hurdles.

"Eggs are an important staple for American families and businesses," stated Johnson. "While we search for solutions to stop the spread of the avian flu, we must take steps to bolster our egg supply and lower prices. Reversing this Obama-era regulation would make hundreds of millions of eggs available in the market, easing the crisis and the burden felt by consumers. We need more yolks for folks."

Riley added that "families across Upstate New York are struggling to make ends meet because grocery bills are too high." He described the bill as a "common-sense, bipartisan" effort to remove unnecessary regulations and increase egg availability.

Harrigan criticized an FDA rule as "a textbook example of government overreach making life more expensive for hardworking Americans." He noted that it has led businesses to discard 400 million eggs annually without public health benefits. According to him, "this bill stops the waste, lowers prices, and restores common sense."

McDonald Rivet highlighted challenges faced by Michigan families due to rising grocery costs. She emphasized getting more eggs into the supply chain as a way to reduce prices at stores: "We have to use every tool in the bag to put more money back in the pockets of working Michiganders."

The background provided indicates that federal regulations from the Obama Administration require immediate refrigeration of all eggs after they are laid. This rule does not differentiate between table eggs needing refrigeration and breaker eggs used in processed foods like salad dressing or cake mix. As a result, chicken farmers discard nearly 400 million usable eggs each year.

The proposed act seeks to overturn this regulation and reintroduce these breaker eggs into the market.