The Agriculture Department is scrambling to rehire several workers it fired as part of President Donald Trump’s broad cuts because they were involved in the government’s response to the ongoing bird flu outbreak that has devastated egg and poultry farms over the past three years
The U.S. Agriculture Department is attempting to rehire workers it previously terminated as part of former President Donald Trump's federal workforce reductions, as these employees were involved in the government's response to the ongoing bird flu outbreak. The outbreak, which began in 2022, has led to the culling of approximately 160 million birds, significantly impacting egg prices and costing the government nearly $2 billion. The USDA is working to rescind termination letters for key personnel, such as veterinarians and animal health technicians, crucial to managing the outbreak. The affected workers were part of an office overseeing the national lab network used to confirm bird flu cases. The USDA has not yet provided details on how many workers are being rehired or the potential changes to its response strategy.
