As egg prices continue to rise across the country because of the avian flu outbreak, lawmakers are proposing cutting $500 million in research funding from the federal budget that would look into ways to deal with the devastating bird flu.
Sen. Charles Schumer calls these proposed Agriculture Department cuts mindless.
"It absolutely makes no sense for Congress to cut desperately needed federal funding to fight this outbreak and prevent future bird flu outbreaks from happening and impacting our prices,” Schumer said. “I am urging Congress to give the USDA the research funds it needs before this egg shortage gets worse, and before grocery bills continue to rise and squeeze middle-class families.”
Schumer says these USDA funds in the past have helped pay for things like vaccination development against the bird flu and research on transmission and security measures farmers can take to reduce the spread of the disease.
“This would be cutting back on one of the best weapons we have to address this spreading bird flu, the egg shortage supply and the unrelenting prices.”
Since June 17, the USDA has reported that over 48 million birds were affected by avian influenza (H5N2) with about 80 percent of them being egg-laying hens.
Estimates are this flu could last another two years, as the average price of eggs is up 40 percent already this year and prices of other food products like baked goods are expected to rise this fall.
Schumer says he’ll lobby to put the $500 million back into the federal budget.
