WASHINGTON, DC – As highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as ‘bird flu’ or ‘avian flu’ continues to spread worldwide and decimate American poultry flocks, it has also now infected dairy herds in 18 states.

While the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the agency which serves as Europe’s surveillance hub for infectious diseases, is urging preventative steps and a comprehensive strategy to prepare for and respond to animal-to-human influenza transmission, the Trump Administration is dragging its feet, misaligning resources, and failing to execute a strategic U.S. plan that includes bird flu vaccination as one component of a broader approach to HPAI.

Now, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is urging the Trump Administration to ramp up their avian flu response, stop subsidizing an unhealthy system, and calling on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry to hold hearings on the dangers of avian flu and the Ending Taxpayer Support for Big Egg Producers Act (S. 1904), which Senator Reed introduced in May.

Reed’s bill would ensure that limited resources are used effectively to combat the avian flu and help producers who need them most, rather than highly-profitable companies. He has called on the federal government to examine what role industry consolidation has had on egg prices, noting that Cal-Maine, a publicly-trade egg producer that controls one fifth of the nation’s egg supply, had no bird flu outbreaks in fiscal year 2023 but still raised prices and raked in over $1 billion in windfall profits that year.

In a letter to the Senate Ag Committee, Reed wrote: “As these investigations proceed, however, companies continue to reel in profits while benefitting from taxpayer support. For example, Cal-Maine Foods received $44 million in indemnity payments in 2024, and in 2025 repurchased approximately $50 million in shares from family members of the company’s founder. SEC filings show Cal-Maine may spend up to an additional $450 million on buybacks, even as it benefits from taxpayer-funded indemnity payments. The Trump Administration has continued to issue indemnity payments to companies; however, proper guardrails do not exist to ensure payments reach those who need them most.”

Senator Reed notes it is imperative for the Trump Administration to wisely allocate limited federal resources and implement science-based solutions that strengthen flock health while protecting the ability of American farmers to compete in global markets.

“It is important to have a plan in place before the virus can trigger a major outbreak,” said Senator Reed. “But the Trump Administration’s failure to properly prepare and respond is troubling. Federal funds that are supposed to go to early detection, response, and control of animal diseases and outbreaks like avian flu are instead being unused or directed elsewhere. That makes farmers, consumers, and public health more vulnerable and could force Americans to pay a much higher price in the long run.”

The avian flu virus has jumped to several mammal species in the last few years, including cats, cows, foxes, bears, and other birds. About 1,000 humans have also caught the virus since it first emerged, but fortunately it has not mutated to spread between humans.

Reed is urging the Trump Administration to move forward with finalizing and implementing a national avian influenza vaccination program. In February, USDA announced a Five-Pronged Approach to combatting avian influenza, but has since pulled back on key planks of the strategy, such as ‘Exploring Pathways toward Vaccines, Therapeutics, and Other Strategies for Protecting Egg Laying Chickens to Reduce Instances of Depopulation.’

After being awarded a $590 million contract by the Biden Administration to help develop a vaccine effective against bird flu, in May, the Trump Administration cancelled the contract with Moderna. This week, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a public-private partnership of governments and philanthropic groups developing new vaccines to prevent future epidemics, announced a $54.3 million investment to help Moderna get its bird flu vaccine candidate to licensure.

“We’ve got to learn the right lessons from the past: an ounce of prevention can go a long way toward protecting public health and economic health. Right now, the Trump Administration’s anti-vax bias seems to be clouding its judgement and shortchanging taxpayers, shirking its commitment, and hoping the private sector will step in. If the avian flu mutates, this could prove to be exponentially costly for taxpayers, patients, and our economy,” noted Reed.

States where bird flu has been detected in dairy herds include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Wyoming