Democratic lawmakers erupted at the Trump administration and Republican colleagues this week, blaming them for the recent spread of the New World screwworm, causing alarm for the cattle industry.
Lawmakers Point Fingers at DOGE Cuts
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) wrote Tuesday on X, "It appears that stopping a flesh eating parasite from spreading across the continent was, in fact, NOT waste, fraud, and abuse." The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed this month that the New World screwworm fly, a parasite with flesh-eating larvae that burrow into the living tissue of mammals, including cattle, has reached South Texas for the first time in decades.
Both sides of the political aisle are blaming each other for the return. The so-called Department of Government Efficiency, spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk, gutted a program to prevent the spread of the parasite across the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a report from Agri-Pulse published in March last year.
Democratic Criticism Intensifies
Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) said, "The DOGE stupidity from Trump and Rollins will end up COSTING taxpayers money." Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) told followers, "This screwworm epidemic may have been avoided if DOGE folks actually communicated with our ranchers. Instead, a team of wholly unqualified interns recklessly cut the screwworm prevention program. Now ranchers will suffer and beef prices will continue to rise."
Texas Sen. Roland Gutierrez wrote, "The Trump administration screwed up on screwworms and all they do is lie and blame the last guy." Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) added, "Let's be clear about what happened: DOGE cut the programs and staff that tracked dangerous outbreaks like screwworm. So this has nothing to do with Joe Biden, but Trump and DOGE definitely screwed our cattle industry."
Republican Counterarguments
Republicans claim that Biden-era border policies are behind the return. President Donald Trump-loyalist Laura Loomer wrote on X, "There have not been enough deportations. That's how Screw Worm got here." Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) told Newsmax, "This is another thing we can thank Joe Biden for," citing migrants from South America. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also attempted to shift blame to the Biden administration, claiming that "not much had been done" to counter the northward spread of the parasite.
