Key facts
- USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins will testify before the Senate Agriculture Committee.
- The hearing will cover agency oversight and President Trump's fiscal 2027 budget request.
- A resurgence of the screwworm, a parasitic fly, is a key issue.
- Rollins has linked the screwworm's return to immigration policies under the Biden administration.
- Rising fertilizer and energy prices are also expected topics of discussion.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is set to testify before the Senate Agriculture Committee on Wednesday morning. The hearing will focus on the agency's oversight and President Trump's proposed fiscal 2027 budget.
The testimony comes at a time when the Trump administration is grappling with a resurgence of the screwworm, a parasitic fly that had been eradicated in the United States since the 1960s. Rollins has largely blamed the comeback on immigration policies enacted during former President Biden’s administration.
Additionally, Rollins is anticipated to face questions concerning the increasing costs of fertilizer and energy prices, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflict in Iran. President Trump had previously addressed affordability concerns related to the war during remarks made to farmers in Wisconsin earlier this month, ahead of the midterm elections.