RFK Jr. announces HHS will cut 20,000 workers to reduce ‘sprawling bureaucracy.'

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Kalé Carey Reporter

Politics

RFK Jr. says HHS will part ways with 20K workers, end ‘sprawling bureaucracy’

Mar 27

Kalé Carey Reporter

By Kalé Carey (Reporter), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a significant overhaul of the Department of Health and Human Services. The plan also reduces regional offices, leaving only five open across the U.S.
These reductions are aimed at streamlining operations without impacting essential health services.
Medicare and Medicaid services will remain unaffected by the reorganization.

Full Story

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unveiled a sweeping plan to overhaul the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), slashing 20,000 jobs as part of a significant restructuring effort. The announcement came Thursday, March 27, following President Donald Trump’s executive order to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

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Kennedy, who now serves as HHS secretary, said the department’s budget and staffing had ballooned during the Biden administration but had not translated into improved health outcomes for Americans.

“During the Biden administration, HHS’ budget increased by 38%, and its staffing grew by 17%, but all that money has failed to improve the health of Americans,” Kennedy said in a video on social media.

We are streamlining HHS to make our agency more efficient and more effective. We will eliminate an entire alphabet soup of departments, while preserving their core functions by merging them into a new organization called the Administration for a Healthy America or AHA. This… pic.twitter.com/BlQWUpK3u7
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) March 27, 2025

Significant workforce reductions and reorganization

HHS will reduce its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 employees as part of the overhaul. This change will consolidate 28 divisions under the department into just 15. In addition, regional offices will be reduced by half, with five remaining open across the United States.

Kennedy emphasized that these cuts are part of a larger plan to refocus HHS on its core mission of combating chronic disease and improving public health.

“We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic,” Kennedy said in a statement.

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Job cuts at key agencies

The FDA, which will see the largest staff reduction, will cut 3,500 jobs. The cuts will reportedly streamline operations and centralize administrative functions, though key roles in drug, medical device and food inspection will remain unaffected.

Notably, Trump administration officials had already removed FDA employees who were considered probationary or new hires.

The CDC will reduce its workforce by 2,400 as part of what Kennedy says is a shift back to its core mission of epidemic and outbreak response. The NIH will slash 1,200 positions by centralizing procurement, human resources and communications across its 27 institutes. Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will cut 300 jobs to eliminate duplication across the agency.

Despite these cuts, Kennedy assured that HHS would continue to provide more efficient services while saving taxpayers $1.8 billion.

“I want to promise you now that we’re going to be doing more with less. No American is going to be left behind,” Kennedy said.

Focus on health and environment

Kennedy’s reorganization plan includes a new division, the “Administration for a Healthy America,” which will merge multiple agencies to focus on key areas such as maternal and child health, mental health, HIV/AIDS and workforce development.

The CDC will join forces with the administration responsible for handling national disasters and public health emergencies.

A newly created “Enforcement Secretary” will oversee Medicare appeals, combat fraud and abuse in federal health programs and manage the Office for Civil Rights. Another division will focus on health policy research, while a separate sector will support older Americans and individuals with disabilities, integrating Medicare and Medicaid services.

Kennedy also stressed that while changes are underway, the reorganization will not impact Medicare and Medicaid services.

Looking ahead

HHS confirmed that no additional cuts are currently planned, but the department will continue exploring ways to streamline its operations.

With a budget close to $2 trillion, much of which is allocated to Medicare and Medicaid, Kennedy said the department is focused on improving efficiency while addressing key public health challenges, including the fight against environmental toxins, access to wholesome food and clean water.

Tags: CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, DOGE, Donald Trump, FDA, Health, Health Care, Medicaid, Medicare, Mental health, National Institutes of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Food and Drug Administration

[Kalé Carey]

ROBERT F. KENNEDY IS SET TO OVERHAUL THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, SLASHING 20,000 JOBS IN TOTAL.

THE HHS SECRETARY MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THURSDAY, FOLLOWING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER TO SHRINK THE ENTIRE FEDERAL WORKFORCE.

(“During the Biden administration HHS’ budget increased by 38% and its staffing increased by 17% but all that money has failed to improve the health of Americans.”)

THE DEPARTMENT WILL GO FROM 82 THOUSAND TO 62 THOUSAND EMPLOYEES, RESULTING IN 28 DIVISIONS UNDER HHS TO BECOME CONSOLIDATED INTO 15.

REGIONAL OFFICES WILL GET CUT IN HALF WITH ONLY FIVE IN THE U-S REMAINING OPEN.

RFK JUNIOR SAID, “ We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic.”

SO WHO DETERMINES THE LAY OFFS?

HALF OF THE EMPLOYEES TOOK BUYOUTS FROM THE GOVERNMENT WHILE THE REST WILL LOSE THEIR JOBS.

THE FDA WILL CUT 3,500 JOBS, STREAMLINING OPERATIONS AND CENTRALIZING ADMIN FUNCTIONS, BUT DRUG, MEDICAL DEVICE, AND FOOD INSPECTORS WON’T BE AFFECTED. TRUMP OFFICIALS ALREADY FIRED MANY FDA EMPLOYEES CONSIDERED TO BE PROBATIONARY OR NEW HIRES.

THE CDC WILL REDUCE 2,400 JOBS, SHIFTING FOCUS BACK TO ITS CORE MISSION OF EPIDEMIC AND OUTBREAK RESPONSE.

THE NIH WILL SLASH 1,200 JOBS, CENTRALIZING PROCUREMENT, HR AND COMMUNICATIONS ACROSS ITS 27 INSTITUTES.

THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES WILL CUT 300 JOBS, ELIMINATING DUPLICATION.

DESPITE THESE CUTS, RFK JR. SAYS HHS WILL SAVE TAXPAYERS NEARLY 2 MILLION DOLLARS WHILE DOING MORE.

(“I want to promise you now, that we’re going to be doing more with less. No American is going to be left behind.”)

THE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY OPERATES WITH A BUDGET CLOSE TO TWO TRILLION DOLLARS, WITH A LARGE PORTION DEDICATED TO MEDICARE AND MEDICAID PROGRAMMING.

A BIG FOCUS WILL BE ON WHOLESOME FOOD, CLEAN WATER AND REMOVING TOXINS FROM THE ENVIRONMENT.

A NEW DIVISION, THE ADMINISTRATION FOR A HEALTHY AMERICA, WILL MERGE MULTIPLE AGENCIES, TACKLING KEY AREAS LIKE MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, HIV/AIDS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

THE CDC WILL TEAM UP WITH THE ADMINISTRATION HANDLING NATIONAL DISASTERS AND PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES.

A NEW ENFORCEMENT SECRETARY WILL OVERSEE MEDICARE APPEALS, COMBAT FRAUD AND ABUSE IN FEDERAL HEALTH PROGRAMS AND MANAGE THE OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS.

ANOTHER DIVISION WILL FOCUS ON HEALTH POLICY RESEARCH, WHILE AN ADDITIONAL SECTOR WILL SUPPORT OLDER AMERICANS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, INTEGRATING MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES.

THE PRESS RELEASE CLARIFIES MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES WON’T BE IMPACTED BY THE REORGANIZATION.

HHS SAID THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL CUTS PLANNED RIGHT NOW BUT WILL CONTINUE TO EXPLORE WAYS TO STREAMLINE OPERATIONS.

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