Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON — U.S. Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (TX-15), alongside members of the Texas Congressional Delegation, is calling on President Trump to deploy a comprehensive, whole-of-government strategy to combat recent outbreaks of the New World Screwworm. Following confirmed cases of the flesh-eating parasite within Texas, lawmakers issued a stark warning: failing to contain the destructive pest could result in catastrophic losses reaching up to $1.3 billion for the nation’s livestock industry.
The letter is co-signed by Representatives Randy Weber (TX-14), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Nathaniel Moran (TX-01), Brian Babin (TX-36), Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Jake Ellzey (TX-06), Wesley Hunt (TX-38), Michael McCaul (TX-10), Morgan Luttrell (TX-08), Lance Gooden (TX-05), John Carter (TX-31), Ronny Jackson (TX-13), Roger Williams (TX-25), August Pfluger (TX-11), Keith Self (TX-03), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Pat Fallon (TX-04), Chip Roy (TX-21), and Brandon Gill (TX-26).
Read the full letter here or below.
Dear President Trump,
We want to thank you for your commitment to America’s agricultural industry. We remain committed to work alongside you and your administration to address the issues facing rural America and our agricultural producers.
On June 3, 2026, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed the first domestic cases of Cochliomyia hominivorax, commonly known as the New World Screwworm (NWS). The flesh-eating parasite poses a serious threat to livestock producers. This was proven in the 1950’s and 1960’s when NWS cost livestock producers historical losses of roughly $20 million and $100 million in southeastern and southwestern states, respectively. This equates to roughly $1.3 billion annually in modern cost estimates.
In the first 100 days of your second term in office, you and your cabinet members recognized the harmful impact NWS posed to U.S. livestock producers, and began working with Mexican counterparts to mitigate the threat. This led to the historic investment of $750 million to construct a fly sterilization facility at USDA’s Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas. Though the facility has immense promise to combat the growing presence and threat of NWS, there are some immediate actions that departments and agencies can be making to bolster the federal government’s response. Therefore, we are asking you and your cabinet to prioritize an expedited and enhanced coordinated, whole-of-government strategy to combat NWS.
Several Secretaries within your Cabinet have taken action to mitigate the threat caused by NWS. Efforts include the establishment of the New World Screwworm Directorate by Secretary Rollins, the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of emergency authorized usage for veterinary treatment and prevention under Secretary Kennedy, and, under the leadership of Secretary Hegseth, the Army Corps of Engineers’ oversight on Moore Air Base’s construction. We appreciate the historic strides your Administration has made and ask that as more cases of NWS begin to be reported within the United States, your administration prioritizes a whole-of-government approach to finding additional, creative solutions to combat NWS. This comes at a time when states are stepping up to address the issue, such as the Governor of Texas’ recent state-wide disaster declaration.
As your partners in Congress, we stand ready to provide any resources necessary to support U.S. livestock producers and eradicate NWS. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to addressing this issue, together.
