In a letter addressed to US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Jamie Raskin have urged the suspension of government contracts with JBS SA, a meatpacking company and its subsidiaries, citing claims of “criminal behavior” by JBS and its parent company, J&F Investimentos SA.

The letter pointed to the company’s employment of minors in JBS plants and their accumulated $3.4 billion in fines and penalties in Brazil and the US.

Although former Representative Carolyn Maloney expressed concerns about JBS’s governmental contracts in June 2022, Vilsack responded that no suspension or debarment proceedings were pursued at the time.

JBS USA spokesperson Nikki Richardson noted that the eligibility of participants in federal food assistance programs was subject to the discretion of the US Department of Agriculture.