On Tuesday, the nation witnessed a significant reduction in workforce at its primary health agencies, affecting thousands involved in critical areas such as health trend tracking, disease outbreak management, medical research funding, food and medicine safety monitoring, and health insurance program administration for numerous citizens. The Department of Health and Human Services is downsizing to 62,000 positions, slashing a quarter of its workforce by eliminating 10,000 jobs through layoffs and another 10,000 positions via early retirement and voluntary separations. While many jobs were based in Washington, D.C., others were centered around Atlanta—home to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—and various smaller offices nationwide.
This drastic workforce reduction includes losing researchers, scientists, doctors, support staff, and senior leaders, stripping the government of crucial expertise historically relied upon for navigating medical research, drug approvals, and related matters. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. previously criticized the department’s inefficiencies, and after Tuesday’s layoffs commenced, he declared “The revolution begins today!” on social media, marking the starting day for two agency heads’ new responsibilities.
Among those heavily impacted is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), responsible for inspecting and setting safety standards for medications, medical devices, tobacco, and food products, which is set to lose 3,500 employees. Notices were issued to FDA personnel involved in reviewing new drugs and medical implants, and in policy formation for electronic cigarettes and tobacco products. This included the entire press office staff and the agency’s chief tobacco regulator, who was removed with his deputies. Senior officials overseeing drugs and vaccines also opted to resign due to undesirable reassignments across the country.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), committed to preventing diseases from infections, genetics, and environmental hazards, prepared to cut approximately 2,400 positions. Reports highlighted layoffs in units dealing with non-infectious disease-linked deaths and injuries, such as programs addressing asthma, smoking, gun violence, climate change, and other health threats. The center responsible for worker health was vastly diminished, according to internal sources. High-ranking directors received notices for administrative leave with reassignment offers to the Indian Health Service, perceived by some outside the agency as a strategy to encourage senior leaders to resign.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), globally acclaimed for medical research—supporting studies in cancer, Alzheimer’s, and HIV, among others—is poised to lose 1,200 jobs. This follows over 1,000 NIH positions already terminated under the Trump administration, which also cut numerous NIH grants nationally. Tuesday saw senior NIH figures being put on administrative leave, including renowned experts managing significant institutes like the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Others affected encompassed brain research scientists, computer experts, and almost the entire communications division.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which handles Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act marketplace, confirmed 300 positions would be eliminated. Cuts concern the Office of Minority Health, Office of Equal Rights and Opportunity, and the Office of Program Operations & Local Engagement.