Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins testified at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on USDA oversight and department priorities amid the reemergence of the screwworm and rising gas prices that increase the cost of fertilizer. In her opening remarks, the secretary said there were now six confirmed screwworm cases between Texas and New Mexico, but she reiterated the food supply was not at risk and that the screwworm was not a virus or communicable disease, but a parasitic fly that feeds on the living flesh of livestock and pets. Other topics addressed included the Food for Peace program and cuts to foreign aid assistance, the rising cost of fertilizer and diesel nationwide, national security challenges regarding the Chinese purchase of U.S. farmland, the rise of farm closures and bankruptcies, and concerns over cuts to food assistance programs. Additionally, the secretary fielded questions on agriculture trade policy and the impact of tariffs on the farm economy.