The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that several employees working on the bird flu outbreak were accidentally terminated.
Elon Musk, the tech mogul who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DGE), is working closely with President Donald Trump to shrink the government. Egg shortages and a rise in egg prices have been caused by the avian flu outbreak.
The USDA stated, “Even though several positions supporting HPAI (bird flu) were terminated over the weekend, our team is working quickly to rectify the situation to rescind these letters.” “USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service positions on the frontlines are public safety positions. We continue to hire the workforce needed to ensure food safety and supply to fulfill our mandate.”
In a previous statement, the USDA said it would optimize its workforce before making any job cuts.
“They need to be more cautious,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a member of the Agriculture Committee, told NBC News. “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. I just wish they’d make a better decision up front.”
Washington Post reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that 68 people have been infected and more than 150,000,000 birds have died from the virus since 2022.
The Washington Post reported this month on an egg producer who said, “We’re fighting for our lives” to combat the disease.