Pence says food supply 'strong' during Iowa visit

On a day when the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the reopening of 14 meatpacking plants around the U.S., Vice President Mike Pence, flanked by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, said "the food supply in America has remained strong."

Pence participated in a meeting on Friday along with Iowa's two senators, as well as top officials in the agriculture and food industries in the Hawkeye state.

Iowa leads the nation in egg and pork production and is a top grower of corn and soybeans.

Meatpacking is among the state's biggest employers, and companies have been working to restart operations after closing them because hundreds of their workers became sick with the coronavirus.

As Pence touted the Trump administration's announcement of the reopening of the meatpacking plants, including two in Iowa, the union representing workers called for safer working conditions.

“Iowa’s meatpacking workers are not sacrificial lambs. They have been working tirelessly during the coronavirus pandemic to ensure families here and across the country have access to the food they need,” said the United Food and Commercial Workers Union in a statement.

The union said 30 meatpacking plant workers have died.

Ken Sullivan, CEO of Smithfield Foods discussed how he had a call just before the meeting informing him that a worker had died.

He said it’s been a “gut-wrenching” decision to have to make a choice between maintaining the food supply and asking workers to go into the meatpacking plants to keep production moving.

“I just want the American people to know that these employees really deserve a lot of gratitude,” he said

Pence responded saying, "our prayers are with the families of those who've been lost in with those who are continuing to struggle with the serious consequences of this illness."