Despite his talk about supporting Texas beef, Ken Paxton’s policy stances are now putting the Texas cattle industry at risk. According to new reporting from MeidasTouch, Paxton backed DOGE’s cuts to federal funding, which included $382 million to UN Food and Agriculture Organization programs, among them the initiative that monitored and prevented New World Screwworm from entering the U.S.
On June 3, the USDA reported the first Texas screwworm case since 1966, and industry leaders are now warning of a billion-dollar disaster for the cattle industry, compounding record-high beef prices.
“Ken Paxton frequently talks about his love of Texas beef and barbecue, even making it a focal point of his campaign,” said Gus Nathanson, spokesperson for American Bridge 21st Century. “But his policy stances have directly contributed to a genuine crisis for the Texas cattle industry, especially as Texans are already struggling with the rising cost of beef. This is just the latest in a long line of examples of Paxton’s dishonorable hypocrisy.”
Read more about Paxton’s role in the screwworm infestation among Texas cattle.
- Paxton repeatedly celebrated DOGE’s efforts to reduce federal spending, calling their work “incredible” and “necessary.”
- DOGE terminated approximately $382 million in funding for programs administered by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
- This included programs that monitored and responded to the spread of the New World screwworm throughout Central America.
- On June 3, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the first case of New World screwworm in Texas since 1966.
- A widespread outbreak could cost the livestock industry billions of dollars and further increase beef prices that are already at record highs.
- Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas found that if a modern outbreak matched the severity of the major 1972 infestation, economic damage across the Southwest could exceed $3 billion.
- The return of screwworm to Texas raises a serious question: were DOGE’s cuts worth the risk to one of the state’s most important industries?
Published: Jun 12, 2026