By Sen. Ben Ray Luján
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, pressed Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins June 10 on the New World screwworm that has now been detected in Lea County, N.M.
At a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, Luján questioned Rollins on the impacts of staffing cuts on the response to the spread, the federal government’s response, and USDA’s commitment to prioritizing impacted states.
“The New World screwworm outbreak poses a serious threat to New Mexico’s cattle and livestock industry, and we must act decisively to stop the spread of this dangerous pest,” Luján said. “Protecting livestock across the state requires investing in proven methods — like the sterile fly technique — to prevent the further spread in the U.S.”
In May 2025, prior to the current outbreak reaching the U.S., Luján introduced the bipartisan Strengthening Tactics to Obstruct the Population of Screwworms Act, legislation to combat the spread of the New World screwworm.
Following the introduction of Luján’s STOP Screwworms Act in May 2025, the legislation brought attention to the outbreak and USDA completed the construction of a U.S.-based sterile fly dispersal facility in Edinburg, Texas to combat the spread. As a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, addressing the New World screwworm spread is a priority for Luján and he will continue to work to stop the spread of the dangerous pest.
