More than 15,000 USDA staff have been fired or accepted Trump's financial incentives to leave the agency, leaving fewer experts to respond to an ongoing outbreak of bird flu and draining technical staff from local offices that serve farmers. Trump's proposed budget would cut $4.5 billion from the USDA, including from conservation and research programs. Across the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, 98 of 167 food safety scientists have resigned, according to the letter. The ARS's work includes detecting pathogens, preventing foodborne illness, and identifying chemical and other contaminants in food, according to the USDA website. In addition to AFGE, the staff unions are represented by the National Treasury Employees Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.