Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky renewed his push Friday for Congress to pass legislation that would ease restrictions on local meat processors, following President Trump's executive action aimed at allowing ranchers to process their own meat.
"This is great, but it should be a law, not just an executive order," Massie wrote on social media, referring to his Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act. The bill would permit local slaughterhouses to sell meat within their state without federal inspection requirements. Massie noted the legislation has "dozens of bipartisan sponsors" in both chambers.
Massie first introduced the PRIME Act in 2015 and reintroduced it in July 2025. A pilot version was included in the House farm bill passed in April, but it is absent from the Senate's version, which remains under review by the Senate Agriculture Committee.
"Pass the PRIME Act so consumers can get affordable U.S. beef and farmers can flourish!" Massie added.
Trump's decision to ease meat processing restrictions came after backlash from Republicans and ranchers over his administration's plan to temporarily lift tariffs on imported ground beef. That move would allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to enter the U.S. without out-of-quota tariffs for 90 days, to be sold at 25 percent below market prices. Critics argue this would unfairly penalize domestic producers.
Trump defended the import plan, saying it would help replenish the cattle population and lower consumer costs. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said details are still being finalized.
In a Truth Social post announcing the changes, Trump wrote: "Ranchers and Farmers have always been a number one priority for me. They work very hard, are smart, efficient, and immaculately CLEAN, but for years I have heard that they have had a tremendous problem with the Big Processors, who many say are a nasty Monopoly." He said he is "authorizing legal documents" to allow farmers and ranchers to process their own meat, and that the change "should move quickly."
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), which lobbies for large meatpacking conglomerates, criticized the move. In a statement, the NCBA said it supports more competition and eliminating unnecessary regulations but argued that "weakening federal meat inspection & food safety standards isn't the answer." The group added: "America's cattle producers have earned consumer trust in U.S. beef over generations. That trust, and the gold standard food safety system behind it, shouldn't be put at risk for a short-term political fix."
The debate over meat processing has become a flashpoint in agricultural policy, with Trump's move targeting packer monopoly and Massie's legislative push highlighting the divide between small producers and industry giants.
