WJFF - The Local Edition - Special Report

On March 20, 2025, Congressman Josh Riley (NY-19) visited Sullivan County to meet with local officials, community organizations, and rural hospitals. During his visit, he spoke with Radio Catskill's Patricio Robayo about two new bipartisan bills aimed at lowering grocery costs and providing relief for family farmers across Upstate New York. Riley highlighted the Lowering Egg Prices Act and the Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act (HPAIA), both of which seek to address key challenges faced by farmers and consumers alike.

Riley said that the Lowering Egg Prices Act targets an outdated FDA regulation from 2009 that requires farmers to refrigerate eggs immediately after they are laid—whether they are table eggs for direct consumption or breaker eggs used in processed foods like salad dressing and cake mix. The original purpose of this regulation was to prevent the spread of salmonella in table eggs that are sold raw in grocery stores. Immediate refrigeration reduces the risk of bacterial contamination and keeps eggs fresh for longer periods when intended for raw consumption.

However, Riley explained that breaker eggs—which are cracked, pasteurized, and processed for use in manufactured food products—are handled entirely differently in the supply chain. These eggs do not pose the same risks when used for pasteurized food items. Despite this distinction, the outdated rule applies the same refrigeration requirements to both table eggs and breaker eggs, leading to unnecessary waste. Farmers have been forced to discard nearly 400 million breaker eggs annually because they could not meet these refrigeration requirements, even though the eggs themselves were perfectly safe for processing.

“Folks are telling me every day that their grocery bills are just too high,” Riley said. “This is common sense. My bipartisan bill would overturn that regulation, put hundreds of millions of eggs back on the market, and bring prices down for consumers.”

Riley believes the impact could be immediate, with more eggs available for sale and prices decreasing as a result. “It’s not a silver bullet, but every dollar we can put back in working families’ pockets matters,” he said.

The Congressman also discussed the Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act, which addresses the financial burdens placed on poultry farms impacted by avian flu outbreaks. Under current law, only farms with confirmed cases of avian flu are eligible for USDA financial assistance. Neighboring farms within a designated control zone—often required to take costly preventative measures—are left without compensation.

“Small family farms are already hanging on by a thread,” Riley said. “They’re shouldering the burden of containing avian flu, and it’s not fair or smart public policy to leave them on their own.”

Riley is working to include the bill in the upcoming Farm Bill and emphasized the urgency as migratory birds return north, increasing the risk of avian flu spread.

Riley also stated his commitment to keeping Exit 114 on Route 17 open. “Closing it would devastate Wurtsboro,” he said, vowing to push regulators—and if needed, introduce legislation—to protect local businesses.

Congressman Riley will be holding a telephone Town Hall on March 26 at 5:30 PM.  https://riley.house.gov/townhall