Kennedy cuts thousands of jobs at health agencies amid federal downsizing

On April 1, 2025, the United States began mass layoffs affecting thousands of employees within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This decision was part of a broader initiative launched by the Trump administration to shrink the federal government, targeting approximately 10,000 positions. Notices of termination were issued early on Tuesday morning, marking the start of significant restructuring within various divisions of HHS, including critical agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, and National Institutes of Health. Employees expressed concerns about job security over the preceding weekend as they awaited news on their employment status. The reduction in force plan was confirmed by sources informing major news outlets and was reported to involve drastic cuts, with approximately 3,500 jobs lost at the FDA, 2,400 at the CDC, and 1,200 at the NIH. Additionally, employees at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would see another 300 positions eliminated. These layoffs reflected a strategy initiated by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has openly criticized the HHS as an inefficient bureaucracy. The plan aims to reduce the department's workforce from 82,000 to 62,000. Under this initiative, several key divisions which focus on vital public health issues, including minority health and the prevention of gun violence injuries, have been significantly impacted. Sources indicated that the Office of Media Affairs at the FDA was fully eliminated, and divisions related to HIV prevention were among those hardest hit. Workers were cautioned to take their laptops home as they might lose access to campus facilities without warning following termination. Senators and public health advocates have voiced their concerns over the cuts, arguing they threaten essential public health operations and the overall well-being of U.S. citizens. Critics, including lawmakers from the Democratic Party, urged HHS Secretary Kennedy to justify these aggressive cuts. Their letter emphasized that the drastic changes lack a clear rationale for improving health outcomes and appear to undermine the agency's capacity to fulfill its mission to enhance American health and safety.