After the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) admitted to accidentally firing employees linked to bird flu research, the agency says it is working double time to fix the mistake.
The massive error is a result of one of several efforts by the Trump-Vance administration to downsize the agencies by firing federal workers, with the support of tech billionaire Elon Musk and the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), staffed by people with zero experience in government affairs. In a statement from a USDA spokesperson, the agency stands firm in its commitment to public safety, including rectifying the mistake.
68623726/site264.tmus/amp2" data-multi-size="320x50,300x250" data-multi-size-validation="false" rtc-config='{"vendors": {"prebidappnexuspsp": {"PLACEMENT_ID": "27198239"}}, "timeoutMillis": 500}'>“Although several positions supporting [bird flu efforts] were notified of their terminations over the weekend, we are working to swiftly rectify the situation and rescind those letters,” the statement read.
“USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service frontline positions are considered public safety positions, and we are continuing to hire the workforce necessary to ensure the safety and adequate supply of food to fulfill our statutory mission.”
The spokesperson highlighted how some positions—veterinarians, animal health technicians, and other emergency health personnel, according to The Hill
—were exempt from Trump’s sweeping cuts, emphasizing that USDA “continues to prioritize the response to highly pathogenic avian influenza.”The latest bird flu outbreak has been listed as one of the main causes of the skyrocketing cost of eggs, affecting dairy cow farms and poultry flocks. Data from USDA revealed 151 confirmed flocks have experienced bouts of bird flu, affecting 23 million birds.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to rate the public health risk of the outbreak as “low,” 68 human cases have been confirmed, resulting in one death.
The accidental firing caused 25% of the staff to lose their jobs, including those working with the USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network program office—the group responsible for coordinating 58 facilities overseeing bird flu responses.
Despite the vast majority of Republican lawmakers backing DOGE and Trump’s efforts, this round of layoffs raised some concerns. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) condemned the move, stating they needed to be more careful. “They need to be more cautious,” Bacon, a member of the Agriculture Committee, said.
“There’s an old saying, ‘Measure twice, cut once.’ Well, they are measuring once and having to cut twice. Some of this stuff they’re going to have to return back. I just wish they’d make a better decision up front.”
RELATED CONTENT: Trump’s Reckless Renaming Of Landmarks Reflects Broader Failures And Unchecked White Male Privilege