WASHINGTON (AP) — This weekend marked a significant shift in the Trump administration's effort to reduce the size of the federal workforce, as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began laying off employees. Recently hired staff responsible for reviewing the safety of food ingredients, medical devices, and other products were among those affected.
According to three anonymous FDA staffers, notices were distributed to probationary employees on Saturday evening, indicating their positions were being eliminated. The exact number of positions cut remains unclear, but the focus is on employees in the FDA’s centers for food, medical devices, and tobacco products, which includes oversight of electronic cigarettes. It is uncertain if employees responsible for drug reviews were exempt from these layoffs.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to terminate 5,200 probationary employees across its agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of early Sunday afternoon, approximately 700 CDC employees had received layoff notices. Notably, these layoffs did not affect young doctors and researchers in the Epidemic Intelligence Service.
The FDA, headquartered in the Maryland suburbs outside Washington, employs nearly 20,000 people and has been a target of newly appointed health secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.. Kennedy has criticized the agency for not approving unproven treatments and has pushed for the elimination of thousands of chemicals and colorings from U.S. foods. However, the current cuts include staff responsible for reviewing new food additives and ingredients.
An HHS spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday afternoon.
Nearly half of the FDA’s $6.9 billion budget is sourced from fees paid by regulated companies, such as drug and medical device manufacturers. This funding supports the hiring of additional scientists to expedite product reviews. Eliminating these positions will not reduce government spending.
A former FDA official noted that cutting recent hires could have negative repercussions, as these employees often bring up-to-date technical skills. The FDA's workforce tends to consist of older employees who have been with the agency for decades. In 2022, the Government Accountability Office highlighted the FDA's recruitment and retention challenges due to more lucrative private sector opportunities.
"You want to bring in new blood," said Peter Pitts, a former FDA associate commissioner under President George W. Bush. "You want people with new ideas, greater enthusiasm, and the latest thinking in terms of technology."
Mitch Zeller, former FDA director for tobacco, expressed concerns that the layoffs could "demoralize and undermine the spirit of the federal workforce." He warned that these moves could hinder the agency’s ability to recruit and retain talent.
The FDA's inspection force has faced significant strain, especially following a wave of departures during the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains unclear whether these recent hires are exempt from the current layoffs. FDA inspectors oversee numerous facilities worldwide, but the agency has struggled with a backlog of uninspected facilities, which has drawn criticism for not addressing issues swiftly, particularly in cases involving infant formula and baby food.
AP Medical Writer Mike Stobbe contributed to this report.
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