(Radio Iowa) - Iowa's two U-S senators are questioning why Pure Prairie Poultry was given tens of millions of federal dollars before declaring bankruptcy earlier this month.
Senator Chuck Grassley says the U-S-D-A handed the Minnesota-based company a near-seven-million dollar grant along with guaranteed loans of almost 39-million just two years ago. Grassley questions when it became apparent the company was going to fail and how the U-S-D-A vets companies before giving away tax dollars.
Senator Joni Ernst says Pure Prairie Poultry’s abrupt closure shows the importance of proper vetting and oversight at U-S-D-A and she says those funds need to help producers, rather than -- in her words -- "being flushed down the drain."