Congressman Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and Representative Jim Hagedorn of Minnesota are urging the USDA to appeal the court ruling forcing processing plants to slow their line speeds. Johnson says the court ruling will badly hurt processing capacity across the country and USDA needs to step up and file an appeal.

He says the faster line speeds have been operating for decades with no safety issues. Johnson adds that not only will pork producers and processors suffer if this ruling stands but consumers will also be hurt.

Johnson says the court decision was based on a technicality and not a safety issue.

Besides the Congressional leaders the National Pork Producers Council also wants the Ag Department to appeal the court decision.