'No worker’s life is worth my getting a cheaper hamburger': Biden urges protections in meatpacking plants

WASHINGTON – Former Vice President Joe Biden called for increased safety protocols for workers in the meatpacking industry affected by the coronavirus pandemic, even if that means meat prices will increase. 

During an interview with Yahoo News Tuesday, Biden was asked whether he thought it was an acceptable burden for Americans if meat prices increased to pay for improved worker safety.

"Absolutely, positively, no worker’s life is worth my getting a cheaper hamburger. No worker’s life is worth that," Biden said during the interview, which was a town hall focused on food insecurity.

“We don’t treat the workers well at all across the board," Biden said. “We have obligations to workers, we have obligations to the community. Yes, yes, yes.”

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Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said people who work in meat plants, whether it's beef, pork or poultry, "are getting sicker" as production increases.

“People are getting hurt," he said. "The very thing we should be doing now is making sure these people are protected – that they have space 6 feet apart, that they have shields around them, slow the process up. Make sure they have the protective gear, make sure they are being taken care of.”

Over the past several weeks, there's been a wave of coronavirus cases and deaths among employees in the meatpacking industry. Despite safety concerns, President Donald Trump ordered beef, pork and poultry processing plants to remain open, citing his authority under the Defense Production Act.

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In the town hall interview, Biden criticized Trump for taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, to prevent coronavirus. Trump announced Monday that he has been taking the drug for nearly two weeks. 

The Food and Drug Administration cautioned against using hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, a related drug, for COVID-19 treatment outside hospitals or clinical trials because of the risk of heart rhythm problems. The administration released a note from Trump's doctor Monday confirming his support of the treatment.

"Look, this is absolutely irresponsible," Biden said. "There's no serious medical personnel out there saying to use that drug. It's counterproductive, it's not going to help.

"It's like saying maybe if you injected Clorox into your blood, maybe it'll cure you," he said. "What is he doing? What in God's name is he doing?"