# Moderate Democrats Demand USDA Details on Screwworm Response  
**Published:** 2026-06-26T21:29:45.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/26/repub/moderate-us-house-dem-group-questions-usdas-rollins-over-screwworm-response/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/moderate-democrats-demand-usda-details-on-screwworm-response

A bipartisan group of moderate House Democrats is pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide detailed information about its response to the [nation's New World screwworm outbreak](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/26/repub/moderate-us-house-dem-group-questions-usdas-rollins-over-screwworm-response/), demanding more transparency and resources to contain the parasitic pest.

Led by Reps. Sharice Davids of Kansas, Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico and Jim Costa of California, 21 members of the New Democrat Coalition sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on June 24 expressing concerns about the impact of the screwworm on livestock health and food prices. The group included most of the few House Democrats representing rural districts.

"Right now, in the face of this serious and quickly developing situation, ranchers and farmers want real solutions, not excuses or finger pointing," the lawmakers wrote. They requested that USDA provide detailed information by July 1 about departmental resources, staffing, surveillance zones, sterile fly supplies, and economic impacts.

The New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that lays eggs in livestock wounds, had not been detected in the U.S. since 1966 until two cases emerged in early June in Texas and New Mexico. As of June 25, USDA confirmed 25 total cases with 22 active cases in animals, though most have remained confined to Texas.

The lawmakers questioned whether recent USDA staffing cuts have compromised the agency's ability to respond. According to the Office of Personnel Management, USDA has lost more than 21,000 employees since President Donald Trump began his second term, representing one of the largest reductions among federal agencies.

The group specifically asked about the status of a new [sterile fly production facility in South Texas](https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animals/animal-health/livestock-and-poultry-disease/stop-screwworm), which uses the sterile insect technique to reduce screwworm populations. USDA aims to produce 500 million sterile flies weekly. At a recent congressional hearing, Secretary Rollins said the department has devoted additional staff to screwworm prevention and set aside $1.3 billion for the effort.

A USDA spokesperson defended the Trump administration's transparency, stating it has gone to "unprecedented lengths" to communicate updates. Lawmakers noted that a USDA analysis estimated a larger Texas outbreak could cost producers up to $1.8 billion.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/26/repub/moderate-us-house-dem-group-questions-usdas-rollins-over-screwworm-response/)
- [USDA APHIS Screwworm.gov resource on sterile fly production and containment strategy](https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animals/animal-health/livestock-and-poultry-disease/stop-screwworm)
- [Office of Personnel Management workforce data on federal agency employment changes](https://data.opm.gov/explore-data/analytics/workforce-changes)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/26/repub/moderate-us-house-dem-group-questions-usdas-rollins-over-screwworm-response/.