The Department of Health and Human Services has begun laying off thousands of employees as part of a restructuring plan under the Trump administration.

Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Craig Nigrelli Anchor/Reporter

Politics

US health agencies lay off thousands at CDC, FDA and NIH

Apr 1

Listen

Craig Nigrelli Anchor/Reporter

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor/Reporter), Evan Hummel (Producer), Shianne DeLeon (Video Editor)

The Department of Health and Human Services has initiated layoffs affecting thousands of employees across multiple agencies. The move comes as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed to do “more with less.”
The layoffs impact employees at the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and other institutions.
The reorganization aims to consolidate various programs under the Administration for a Healthy America.

Full Story

At the direction of the Trump administration, the Department of Health and Human Services has started to lay off thousands of employees across various federal institutions.

Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™

HHS referred to it as a “sweeping” restructuring of the agencies responsible for public health, food safety and medical research.

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.

Point phone camera here

What’s the plan?

The layoffs are part of a broader plan by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reorganize major programs under a new office called the Administration for a Healthy America.

Kennedy recently criticized the agency for having a “sprawling bureaucracy” while failing to improve Americans’ health and promised to “do more with less.”

The effort entails cutting approximately 10,000 HHS jobs through layoffs. The HHS will cut an additional 10,000 employees through early retirements and voluntary separations.

Who will these layoffs impact?

According to HHS officials, the job cuts will result in the loss of 3,500 FDA employees, 2,400 at the CDC, 1,200 at the National Institutes of Health and 300 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services jobs.

Union officials said the cuts would affect positions in human resources, finance and other departments.

Why now?

The move follows a series of executive actions by President Donald Trump. Last week, one of the orders rescinded collective bargaining rights for federal health agency employees.

The action affects unionized federal workers at the CDC, FDA and other agencies.

How has Washington reacted?

Democrats criticized the move, arguing that it jeopardizes the nation’s ability to monitor disease outbreaks and ensure food and medical safety. This involves restricting funding for research and insurance programs.

However, the Trump administration argued that the cuts are necessary to enhance efficiency and that the department’s current size has not led to improved health outcomes.

Tags: CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, Donald Trump, FDA, federal employees, National Institutes of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Unions

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS LAYING OFF THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IN WHAT IT CALLS A “SWEEPING” RESTRUCTURING OF THE AGENCY IN CHARGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD SAFETY AND MEDICAL RESEARCH.

THE LAYOFFS ARE PART OF A MORE EXPANSIVE PLAN BY H-H-S SECRETARY ROBERT F. KENNEDY JUNIOR TO REORGANIZE MAJOR PROGRAMS UNDER A NEW OFFICE DUBBED THE ADMINISTRATION FOR A HEALTHY AMERICA.

THE EFFORT INVOLVES SLASHING ROUGHLY 10-THOUSAND JOBS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT THROUGH LAY OFFS AND ANOTHER 10-THOUSAND EMPLOYEES THROUGH EARLY RETIREMENTS AND VOLUNTARY SEPARATIONS.

THE MOVE COMES AFTER A SERIES OF EXECUTIVE ACTIONS BY PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, INCLUDING ONE LAST WEEK RESCINDING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS FOR FEDERAL HEALTH AGENCY EMPLOYEES.

THE ACTION IMPACTS UNIONIZED FEDERAL WORKERS AT THE C-D-C, F-D-A AND OTHER AGENCIES.

DEMOCRATS CRITICIZED THE MOVE, ARGUING IT JEOPARDIZES THE NATION’S ABILITY TO MONITOR DISEASE OUTBREAKS AS WELL AS FOOD AND MEDICAL SAFETY, INCLUDING LIMITING MONEY FOR RESEARCH AND INSURANCE PROGRAMS.

UNDER THE JOB CUTS, THE F-D-A WILL LOSE 35-HUNDRED EMPLOYEES, THE C-D-C 24-HUNDRED, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES FOR HEALTH WILL LOSE 1,200 AND THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES WILL ELIMINATE 300, ACCORDING TO H-H-S OFFICIALS.

UNION OFFICIALS SAY THE CUTS WILL IMPACT POSITIONS IN HUMAN RESOURCES, FINANCE, I-T AND OTHERS.

R-F-K JUNIOR RECENTLY CRITICIZED THE AGENCY FOR HAVING A “SPRAWLING BUREAUCRACY” WHILE FAILING TO IMPROVE AMERICANS HEALTH AND PROMISED TO DO “MORE WITH LESS.”

[ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.]

DURING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, H-H-S’S BUDGET INCREASED BY 38 PERCENT, AND ITS STAFFING INCREASED BY 17 PERCENT, BUT ALL THAT MONEY HAS FAILED TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF AMERICANS.

I WANT TO PROMISE YOU NOW, THAT WE’RE GOING TO DO MORE WITH LESS. NO AMERICAN IS GOING TO BE LEFT BEHIND

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CONTENDS THE CUTS ARE NEEDED TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND ARGUE THE CURRENT SIZE OF THE DEPARTMENT HAS NOT IMPROVED HEALTH OUTCOMES.

FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.

US health agencies lay off thousands at CDC, FDA and NIH

Full Story

Bias Summary

Bias Comparison

Bias Distribution