The Trump administration has initiated a significant reduction in workforce across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), beginning on Tuesday. This ambitious plan aims to eliminate approximately 10,000 full-time jobs as part of a broader effort to decrease the size of the federal government. The initiative, spearheaded by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, seeks to cut the health department's workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 employees across various agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The layoff notices, which began circulating late Monday night and into Tuesday morning, ended a tense period of uncertainty for many HHS employees. Numerous staff members reported spending the weekend filled with anxiety over their job security. A source familiar with the situation indicated to NBC News that the planned distribution of notices was delayed from Friday to ensure all data could be thoroughly verified over the weekend.
The divisions most severely affected by these job cuts include those dedicated to addressing HIV, enhancing minority health, and preventing injuries, including those related to gun violence. As of Tuesday morning, a webpage for the Office of Minority Health displayed an error message, indicating it no longer exists. Reports suggest that the entire communications team at the FDA's Office of Media Affairs was terminated, alongside around 50 members from the communications team within the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. This office was responsible for managing public databases on drug approvals and monitoring potential risks associated with FDA-approved drugs, which are legally mandated to be published.
The layoffs are not limited to communications; they extend to divisions overseeing the approval of new drugs, health insurance provision, and responses to infectious disease outbreaks. Some divisions, particularly those focused on the safety of mine workers, were completely eliminated. A memo obtained by NBC News advised employees to take their laptops home nightly in anticipation of potential overnight terminations, stressing that they would still be expected to work remotely.
According to HHS, the job cuts will include approximately 2,400 positions at the CDC, 3,500 at the FDA, 1,200 at the NIH, and 300 at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Federal health officials have indicated that some of the responsibilities from the eliminated or downsized departments may be transferred to a newly established entity known as the Administration for Healthy America (AHA). Agencies being integrated into the AHA include the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration, which includes programs focused on HIV treatment.
This wave of layoffs is part of a larger strategy by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restructure the federal public health framework. Notably, on Friday, Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA's leading vaccine regulator, was removed from his position—a decision criticized by experts who argue it may exacerbate public distrust in vaccines. Marks was integral in the authorization and safety monitoring of vaccines, including the first COVID-19 vaccines released in late 2020.
Public health advocates and several Democratic lawmakers have voiced strong opposition to these sweeping cuts, arguing that they pose a significant risk to public health initiatives. On Monday, Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), former chair of the Senate health committee, alongside Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), sent a letter to Kennedy demanding clarity on his plans to “gut” HHS staffing. They criticized the administration for claiming that these drastic changes would enhance the health of Americans without providing a logical explanation for the cuts.
The lawmakers stated, “Authoritatively stating that these drastic changes will improve the health of Americans without any explanation insults the American public and defies logic.” They urged the Department to provide further details and justification for the restructuring and job cuts.
