USDA working to rescind terminations for fired officials working on bird flu efforts

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it was working to take back the termination notices sent over the weekend to several employees who aid in the federal response efforts to the bird flu (HPAI).

“Although several positions supporting HPAI were notified of their terminations over the weekend, we are working to swiftly rectify the situation and rescind those letters,” the USDA said in a statement to NewsNation.

“USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service frontline positions are considered public safety positions, and we are continuing to hire the workforce necessary to ensure the safety and adequate supply of food to fulfill our statutory mission,” the statement continued.

The statement made clear that the agency “continues to prioritize the response” to the bird flu.

The agency noted that several jobs— including veterinarians, animal health technicians and other emergency health personnel — have been exempted from the “recent personnel actions to continue to support the HPAI response and other animal health priorities.”

The accidental firings come amid the Trump administration’s sweeping push to reduce the size of the government and cut the federal workforce.

Politico reported over the weekend that 25 percent of the staff was fired at USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network program office, which coordinates the work of 58 facilities responding to the spread of bird flu. Politico also reported that thousands of USDA employees have been notified they would lose their jobs.

The bird flu outbreak has affected dairy cow farms and poultry flocks, as egg prices have skyrocketed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still rates the current public health risk as “low” even as 68 human cases hae been confirmed, including one death.

Topics

USDA says it accidentally fired officials working on bird flu and is now trying to rehire them

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday said it accidentally fired "several" employees to combat the bird flu and is working to rehire them.
NBC News - 2d
USDA says it is trying to rehire bird flu experts it mistakenly fired

USDA said it's trying to rescind the firings this weekend of several employees who had worked on the bird flu.
CBS News - 1d
Bird flu confirmed in rats for first time, USDA says

The latest bird flu detections come as the U.S. Department of Agriculture is trying to rehire bird flu experts that were fired as part of DOGE cost-cutting efforts.
CBS News - 7h
Agriculture Department tries to rehire fired workers tied to bird flu response

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 ...
ABC News - 20h
All USAID humanitarian work has effectively stopped, officials say

Current and former USAID officials blasted the Trump administration's gutting of the agency, saying it has left critical partners in the lurch and staff in limbo.
ABC News - Feb. 7
Ukraine detains top intel official, accuses "the rat" of working for Russia

Ukraine's main intelligence agency, the SBU, says one of its most senior officials was disinformation back to Russia.
CBS News - Feb. 12
Ex-N.Y. Official Accused of Working for China Faces Bribery Allegation

Linda Sun, a former aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is also accused of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, according to a superseding indictment.
The New York Times - Feb. 12
Judge bars firing of intelligence officers working on DEI issues

A federal judge temporarily barred two intelligence agencies from terminating employees who had been assigned to work on diversity efforts. The order blocks the Office of the Director of National ...
The Hill - 1d
Super Bowl 'flu'? Record number of employees didn't go to work Monday, poll suggests

“May be calling out sick tomorrow,” one Eagles supporter wrote on X on Sunday night. “Got that birds flu.”
The Hill - Feb. 11