The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Tuesday that it had mistakenly terminated the employment of several agency employees over the weekend. These employees were working on the federal government’s response to the H5N1 avian flu outbreak. The USDA stated that it is working quickly to reverse these firings.
“Although several positions supporting the bird flu response were notified of their terminations over the weekend, we are acting swiftly to rectify the situation and rescind those letters,” said a USDA spokesperson. “USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service frontline positions are considered public safety roles, and we are continuing to hire the necessary workforce to ensure food safety and maintain an adequate supply.”
The spokesperson further clarified that several positions had already been exempted from the broader cuts being made across the federal government. The USDA remains committed to prioritizing the response to highly pathogenic avian influenza.
This incident is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to reduce the size of the government by implementing mass firings of federal workers, an initiative that has been overseen by tech billionaire Elon Musk and the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency. This department, staffed by individuals with little experience in government, is leading the mass firings.
On Friday, the administration struggled to locate nuclear safety employees who had been notified of their reinstatement due to lacking their updated contact information.
The bird flu outbreak has devastated poultry flocks and led to soaring egg prices. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 68 human cases of the virus in the U.S. On her first day in office, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins convened a panel to discuss strategies for addressing the bird flu.
Several USDA agencies, including the Agricultural Research Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, play critical roles in responding to the outbreak. Politico reported that some layoffs impacted the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, which conducts vital avian flu research.
The layoffs have raised concerns among Republican lawmakers, who privately warned the Trump administration that these cuts could hinder efforts to combat the bird flu. They have called for a reconsideration of the terminations. Lawmakers have also expressed frustration with the lack of guidance from the administration regarding the recent program cuts and staff terminations at the USDA.
“They need to be more cautious,” said Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a member of the Agriculture Committee. “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 upfront.”
The layoffs also have raised concerns among bird flu researchers. Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, emphasized that the firing of three employees at the USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network would significantly impact efforts to contain the virus.
“It’s creating a lot of problems,” he said.
Egg prices, already high due to the bird flu outbreak, have continued to rise. Several members of Congress, who returned to their districts this week, reported that constituents have been voicing concerns about the escalating cost of eggs.
Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee have raised concerns with Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., who is working to relay these issues to the USDA and gather more information. Thompson, in a statement, expressed support for the Department of Government Efficiency’s mission and indicated that further clarity would be provided once Secretary Rollins had been confirmed.
In addition to the bird flu response, some Republicans have voiced concerns about cuts to a program aimed at reducing the number of birds near airports to enhance aviation safety. There is also uncertainty regarding how funding cuts across the government, as well as new restrictions on National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, will impact infectious disease researchers and local health officials working to address the bird flu.
Recent USDA data indicates that 151 flocks have been affected by the virus, with 23 million birds impacted.
The Trump administration has been laying off probationary employees across federal agencies, a move that could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of workers. A spokesperson for the administration stated that full details on the number of individuals affected would be available later. Probationary status typically applies to federal employees who have been with the government for less than two years or to those moving to a different agency or role.
Although the Trump administration has cited “performance issues” as the reason for many of the firings, some employees affected have received positive performance reviews from their supervisors.
