USDA's $1B bird flu plan uses money intended for schools, food banks

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Politico

04/12/2025 12:00 PM EDT


Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ $1 billion plan for fighting bird flu will rely on money cut from programs meant to help schools and food banks support local farmers, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

Rollins in February rolled out a five-step strategy to fight bird flu that includes importing eggs and researching and developing a poultry vaccine. But that raised questions about whether it would use new federal money, even as the Trump administration is generally cutting back.

Instead, it will use the money previously intended for two food programs that USDA canceled earlier this year, according to the people, who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The move tees up a major political fight over the Trump administration’s priorities, as USDA struggles to use a relatively small pot of money to help farmers facing economic headwinds, curb a deadly avian flu outbreak and address a worsening hunger crisis — all while meeting the statutory obligations of the fund. Trump’s rapidly escalating trade war with China could also pressure USDA to find new money to assist farmers who may no longer have a market for their products. USDA did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/12/usdas-bird-flu-plan-uses-money-for-schools-food-banks-00287557

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A lot of the stuff for "helping farmers" is in the Farm Bill - but then I expect that to be gutted. Because. SNAP.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Because uneducated people don't demand vaccines and scientific planning and rational action. . . nt

[Progressive dog]

2. Starve the children

and bankrupt the farmers to bring the price of eggs down. Another well thought out plan by the moron in the White House.Have the MAGAs had enough yet? Their children are more likely to suffer than children in blue states. Farmers are, more likely than not, Trump supporters.

[HorsesflyHigh]

3. Remember when we were a highly respected Country?

People wanted to come here for a better life filled with opportunities?

Those days are long gone due to that asshole.

[Initech]

4. Fox News has a lot to do with it too.

Fox News is poison, it destroys everything that it touches.

[patphil]

5. I didn't think you could just reallocate funds like that.

What am I thinking? This is Trump world. Duh!

[James48]

6. Well, you gotta admit -

We can’t go having those mega food corporations pay for developing bird flu vaccines. They’d have to spend some of that money we paid in record egg prices, and big AG, like Purdue Chicken make record profits. Let them foot the bill.

As for me, I’m just fine with not spending that, and just buying eggs from a local farmer with a backyard flock. I’m in a small town , and eggs are local legal tender. 🥚

[slightlv]

7. All those millions/billions that are supposedly "saved" have been and still are

being spent on and by trump, himself. Millions every day or weekend he goes golfing. And we have no idea in what bank account someplace out of true government's reach the rest of the money resides. Still, he makes plans for a multi-million dollar dictator's military parade that will cost billions afterward to fix the streets destroyed by tanks and other heavy machinery rolling down it. Wanna bet he displays a nuke for all to see? I seem to remember such a thing done by the russians and chinese. what's good for them is obviously good for trump - in his own mind. Hubby says it's the perfect time to turn one of those weapons on to the grandstand and take out a whole bunch of the evil doers all at once.