Thousands lose jobs as Kennedy and Musk criticize health agencies
Overnight notifications were sent to both civil service executives and regular employees.
TroibNews 
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is following through on his commitment to reduce the workforce within various government health care agencies.
Overnight, employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) received news of their job cuts as part of a plan to eliminate 10,000 positions from the department's workforce of approximately 80,000. The layoffs impacted various HHS agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Those affected included senior civil service leaders along with employees responsible for communications, worker safety, and HIV prevention initiatives.
“This RIF action does not reflect directly on your service, performance, or conduct,” read emails sent to the impacted employees.
The early-morning "reduction in force" came after several days of uncertainty for employees, many of whom were informed to expect notifications on Friday or over the weekend. The decision was postponed in part due to tensions between Elon Musk’s initiative to downsize the federal government and HHS leadership, who felt excluded from the decision-making process.
These layoffs are part of a broader movement, championed by Musk, to enhance government efficiency. Kennedy has fully backed this initiative, vowing prior to his February confirmation as HHS secretary to eliminate “corrupt” FDA personnel whom he perceives as too close to the pharmaceutical industry, stating, “pack your bags.” The FDA oversees the regulation of drugs, food, and medical devices.
He also committed to cutting hundreds of positions at the NIH, which is the largest medical research funding source globally, operating on a budget of $48 billion.
On Tuesday morning, employees arrived at work only to discover that their key cards no longer granted access.
“I woke up at 5 a. m., heard my friends got the email so I went to the building to clear out my personal stuff before they shut down my building access,” recounted one laid-off CDC employee. “I grabbed my diplomas off the wall and my favorite plants … just so demoralizing.”
Among those terminated at the FDA was Peter Stein, director of the Office of New Drugs. Additionally, the policy office within the Office of New Drugs was also disbanded.
Another high-ranking FDA official, Brian King, who heads the agency’s Center for Tobacco Products, was put on administrative leave, as indicated in an email sent to his staff and reviewed by PMG. King has been focused on reducing e-cigarette use among youth.
“I encourage you to hold your heads high and never compromise the guiding tenets that CTP has held dear since its inception,” King emphasized in his email. “We obeyed the law. We followed the science. We told the truth.”
Nearly all press officers at the FDA were dismissed, according to one agency employee. The team of more than a dozen had managed media inquiries concerning the agency's extensive regulatory responsibilities.
The FDA's Office of Strategic Programs also faced layoffs, including its director, Sridhar Mantha, who co-chaired the AI Council at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. This council contributed to policy regarding AI's application in drug development and aided the FDA's internal use of AI.
Several divisions within the CDC were significantly impacted by the layoffs, according to two employees who requested anonymity due to fear of repercussions.
Among the affected divisions were the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention; Global Health Center; National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities; and the National Center for Environmental Health.
An HHS letter directed to a labor union representing HHS workers indicated that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a division of the CDC dedicated to worker safety, also experienced cuts. This letter stated that downsize involved approximately 185 layoffs at the Morgantown, West Virginia location alone.
As communicated to NIOSH employees, the reduction in force is scheduled to become effective on June 30.
HHS did not immediately reply to inquiries regarding the total number of affected employees at other NIOSH offices. However, CBS News reported that the overall total could approach 873, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the agency's workforce.
NIOSH is set to be integrated into a new organization that Kennedy plans to establish – the Administration for a Healthy America.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
Overnight, employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) received news of their job cuts as part of a plan to eliminate 10,000 positions from the department's workforce of approximately 80,000. The layoffs impacted various HHS agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Those affected included senior civil service leaders along with employees responsible for communications, worker safety, and HIV prevention initiatives.
“This RIF action does not reflect directly on your service, performance, or conduct,” read emails sent to the impacted employees.
The early-morning "reduction in force" came after several days of uncertainty for employees, many of whom were informed to expect notifications on Friday or over the weekend. The decision was postponed in part due to tensions between Elon Musk’s initiative to downsize the federal government and HHS leadership, who felt excluded from the decision-making process.
These layoffs are part of a broader movement, championed by Musk, to enhance government efficiency. Kennedy has fully backed this initiative, vowing prior to his February confirmation as HHS secretary to eliminate “corrupt” FDA personnel whom he perceives as too close to the pharmaceutical industry, stating, “pack your bags.” The FDA oversees the regulation of drugs, food, and medical devices.
He also committed to cutting hundreds of positions at the NIH, which is the largest medical research funding source globally, operating on a budget of $48 billion.
On Tuesday morning, employees arrived at work only to discover that their key cards no longer granted access.
“I woke up at 5 a. m., heard my friends got the email so I went to the building to clear out my personal stuff before they shut down my building access,” recounted one laid-off CDC employee. “I grabbed my diplomas off the wall and my favorite plants … just so demoralizing.”
Among those terminated at the FDA was Peter Stein, director of the Office of New Drugs. Additionally, the policy office within the Office of New Drugs was also disbanded.
Another high-ranking FDA official, Brian King, who heads the agency’s Center for Tobacco Products, was put on administrative leave, as indicated in an email sent to his staff and reviewed by PMG. King has been focused on reducing e-cigarette use among youth.
“I encourage you to hold your heads high and never compromise the guiding tenets that CTP has held dear since its inception,” King emphasized in his email. “We obeyed the law. We followed the science. We told the truth.”
Nearly all press officers at the FDA were dismissed, according to one agency employee. The team of more than a dozen had managed media inquiries concerning the agency's extensive regulatory responsibilities.
The FDA's Office of Strategic Programs also faced layoffs, including its director, Sridhar Mantha, who co-chaired the AI Council at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. This council contributed to policy regarding AI's application in drug development and aided the FDA's internal use of AI.
Several divisions within the CDC were significantly impacted by the layoffs, according to two employees who requested anonymity due to fear of repercussions.
Among the affected divisions were the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention; Global Health Center; National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities; and the National Center for Environmental Health.
An HHS letter directed to a labor union representing HHS workers indicated that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a division of the CDC dedicated to worker safety, also experienced cuts. This letter stated that downsize involved approximately 185 layoffs at the Morgantown, West Virginia location alone.
As communicated to NIOSH employees, the reduction in force is scheduled to become effective on June 30.
HHS did not immediately reply to inquiries regarding the total number of affected employees at other NIOSH offices. However, CBS News reported that the overall total could approach 873, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the agency's workforce.
NIOSH is set to be integrated into a new organization that Kennedy plans to establish – the Administration for a Healthy America.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
