When it comes to any kind of meaningful response to the avian flu, the federal government is doing nothing more than engaging in a blame game and finger-pointing war that riles political bases but accomplishes nothing to cut disaster off at the bend.

Contrary to a national narrative singularly focused on the impact of the highly pathogenic avian influenza on egg prices, there are some things the Trump Administration and Congress can do… or, consider…or, perhaps at an even more fundamental level, simply start discussing… to address the disease that has wiped out more than 157 million egg-laying birds to date and remains largely unchecked.

Yet, the sweet taste of political manna is difficult for lawmakers and pundits on either side of the aisle to turn away just yet. Democrats are all too content to point out that the egg prices President Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail to lower as soon as he took office have reached record highs around most of the nation, while Republicans continue to use them as evidence that the previous Democrat-led administration couldn’t do anything right.

“The Biden administration and the Department of Agriculture directed the mass killing of more than 100 million chickens, which has led to a lack of chicken supply in this country, therefore lack of egg supply, which is leading to the shortage,” Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week when asked about the rising egg prices.

It’s the type of rhetorical nonsense that has overtaken the public political discourse over the last decade; Trump didn’t cause this strain of bird flu any more than Joe Biden did, which should be clear even to those blaming either of them for the mess. To say otherwise is disingenuous on both sides and is potentially setting up the country for a plight that will create challenges for our nation’s farmers and our food supply.

While accusations get lobbed back and forth, a serious situation is getting worse. The problematic H5N1 virus was first detected late last March in cattle, but it has been a concern in farm circles since 2022. While the health risk to the general public remains low, the virus continues to surge through dairy cattle and poultry flocks.

In Pennsylvania, the flu has been detected at commercial farms in five different counties, which so far has manifested itself most in the rise of egg prices. Nationally, the cost of eggs rose 14 percent from November into last December, and they’re expected to rise another 20 percent this year. Already, they’re ranging from $7 to $9 a dozen around the country, and locally, consumers are noticing purchase limits and rising prices, with business owners also feeling the pinch.

Agricultural experts insist there are ways to at least put up a fight against the flu’s spread, but while this is clearly a problem best addressed with the national consistency the federal government can provide, the aggressive response needed to curtail the virus has not been forthcoming. Vaccinating flocks would take a bite out of the virus but could incite concerns on the trade front for U.S. farmers, the world’s most prolific poultry producers. The government could also focus on finding more efficient ways to enforce biosecurity regulations currently in place.

Solutions aren’t going to be cheap, and they could come with some economic pain in the short term — which Trump and many others in the Republican-controlled federal government seemed OK inflicting to get some border security questions addressed. Still, it is necessary to do something other than wait to see how many birds are lost to the flu and how high prices on staples like eggs and chicken ultimately go.

Even if doing so goes against the administration’s stated desires to slash spending and regulation. The true test of government is how willing it is to adjust when crisis is knocking.

— Scranton Times Tribune