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Johnson on overtime rule being funded

Funding to help small and very small meat processors handle the overtime inspection fees caused by the pandemic will be released by the federal government.

South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson partnered with Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig last year to introduce their bill that he says would level the playing field for those processors.

“You had to pay the federal inspector overtime wages to be there. This is actually punishing you for working extra shifts. The big boys didn’t have that same disincentive.”

Johnson says big processors were able to run two and three shifts a day, essentially paying no penalty. Their bill passed Congress earlier this year.

“And the president did announce he was releasing those dollars and was going to be making them available consistent with what our legislation said.”

The USDA will spend $100 million dollars to reduce fees for existing small and very small processing facilities during the pandemic.

Johnson says it’s an example of things actually getting done in Washington, DC.