Davids Discusses High Egg Prices with Local Restaurant Owner, Announces Legislative Action to Lower Costs

OVERLAND PARK – Today, Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03) met with the owner of The Wooden Spoon, a local breakfast restaurant, to hear firsthand how rising egg prices are impacting small businesses and consumers in Kansas. Following their conversation, Davids announced new legislative efforts to address the cost of eggs.

“Talking with small business owners like Tina makes it clear — rising egg prices aren’t just hitting grocery store shelves, they’re affecting local restaurants, workers, and customers,” said Davids. “Kansas businesses shouldn’t have to make tough choices due to forces beyond their control, and hardworking Kansans shouldn’t have to pay more while corporations rake in record profits. That’s why I’m backing bipartisan legislation to support poultry growers impacted by recent disease outbreaks and urging the USDA to take swift action to stabilize prices.”

The recent outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as avian or bird flu, has led to significant losses in poultry populations nationwide, contributing to soaring egg prices. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 166.2 million birds have been affected by HPAI across all 50 states and Puerto Rico since February 2022. Also, while Kansans are paying more than 50 percent more for eggs, the nation’s top corporate egg producer saw its net income surge more than 500 percent late last year. Davids is working to fix this issue.

“If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we cannot be held hostage by adversity,” said Tina Yake, Owner, The Wooden Spoon. “The current egg crisis is yet another challenge that demands resilience and creativity. Restaurants like ours thrive by working with our talented team to adapt and find innovative solutions to mitigate rising costs. Representative Davids has been a strong advocate for initiatives aimed at addressing these challenges and lowering costs since the pandemic. We sincerely appreciate her dedication to representing us, but unfortunately, her efforts continue to be hindered by the Senate’s lack of urgency.”

When avian flu affects a farm, other uninfected farms within a 10-kilometer buffer area cannot bring in new birds until the virus is under control, which can take months. Under current law, farms with confirmed cases can get financial help from the USDA, but farms in the buffer area still must follow strict rules without the same support even if their flock is not infected. To fix this issue, Davids announced her support for the bipartisan Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification (HPAI) Act, which ensures fair compensation for all farms affected by avian flu, including those in both infected and buffer zones. The bill helps farmers stay in business and resume production, lowering egg prices for consumers.

Davids also urged USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to prioritize addressing HPAI by investing in agriculture research, retaining and rehiring key federal employees, and utilizing a whole-of-government approach to tackle egg prices. Davids acknowledged the administration's verbal recognition of the issue but pointed out that they have not taken appropriate action, and the decision to fire USDA employees responsible for addressing avian flu has only made matters worse.

Along with today’s actions, Davids has made lowering the cost of groceries for families and small businesses a priority in Congress, including by: 

• Urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to begin enforcing the Robinson-Patman Act to prevent corporate price discrimination that is driving up grocery costs for consumers.
• Voting to pass the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act to shore up the food and agriculture supply chain, assure fair competition in the meat and poultry sectors, and lower food and gasoline costs for consumers.
• Supporting the Price Gouging Prevention Act, legislation ensuring large corporations can’t take advantage of consumers at the grocery store.
• Holding multiple roundtables with Kansas business, manufacturing, and technology leaders on how recent legislation to improve supply chains will help boost their business’ financial security.
• Working a “Sharice’s Shift” at a local Price Chopper, where she helped store employees unload deliveries from shipping trucks, stock grocery shelves, and bag groceries.