21 Senate Democrats Urge USDA to Expand Sterile Fly Releases Against Screwworm Outbreak
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 11
21 Senate Democrats Urge USDA to Expand Sterile Fly Releases Against Screwworm Outbreak
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 11
Summary
A group of 21 Senate Democrats, led by Amy Klobuchar, pressed Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to take immediate additional steps to contain the New World screwworm outbreak in the US.
Their letter called for a stronger USDA response centered on deploying more sterile flies and boosting staffing to fight the deadly cattle parasite.
The senators said USDA has already begun enhanced surveillance, sterile fly releases and coordination with animal health officials in Texas and New Mexico, but argued those preliminary measures should be expanded.
The appeal underscores rising political pressure on USDA to prevent the outbreak from spreading further and to protect US livestock.