Rep. Troy Downing, R-Mont., told Newsmax on Thursday that federal and state officials are moving aggressively to stop the spread of the invasive New World screwworm, highlighting a USDA program that releases millions of sterile male flies to protect livestock and secure America's food supply.

During an appearance on "Wake Up America," Downing said the U.S. has successfully defeated screwworm infestations before and is taking decisive action to prevent the parasite from gaining a foothold as new cases emerge near the southern border.

The issue has drawn heightened attention after screwworms were discovered in a batch of calves in Texas.

Montana has since implemented additional veterinary inspection and treatment requirements for animals entering the state from affected regions, as officials work to prevent the pest from spreading into major cattle-producing areas.

Downing said the threat has been building for years, as the screwworm threat moved north from Central America through Mexico.

He noted that he personally met with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to press for stronger efforts to contain the infestation before it reaches the United States.

"We had a screwworm infestation in the United States back in the '60s, and we effectively eradicated that," Downing said. "We've seen this pressure coming back from Central America."

Downing also pointed to restrictions on live cattle crossing the southern border as part of the effort to contain the outbreak.

"Obviously, we've stopped cattle on the hoof crossing the border," he said. "But we really need to be very strong on our position of making sure that we're not seeing more infections."

While the parasite can seriously harm livestock, Downing stressed that America's beef supply remains safe for consumers.

"The screwworm infection affects the livestock," he said. "It can obviously make them sick. It can kill them in the worst-case scenario, but it doesn't affect the beef supply. That's completely safe."

Downing said the USDA is relying on a proven scientific strategy to eliminate the pest.

"The way that we eradicate this is they breed sterile male flies," he explained. "The females, they only mate once. So if they mate with a sterile, they don't produce eggs. And that's how you get rid of it."

According to Downing, the USDA has released millions of sterile flies while closely monitoring reported cases in Texas and New Mexico.

"We're taking it very seriously to make sure that we protect that food supply," he said. "I think we're going to get past this because we've acted decisively and quickly."

Downing, whose district includes a large ranching industry, said protecting producers and rebuilding the nation's cattle herd remain critical priorities.

"We take this very seriously to make sure that we're protecting our ranchers and protecting the food supply and making sure that consumers still have reasonable prices at the grocery store," Downing said.

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