Trump initiates widespread job cuts at FDA, CDC, and additional U.S. health institutions
Trump initiates significant layoffs at the FDA, CDC, and various other U.S. agencies.
TroibNews 
The Trump administration initiated widespread layoffs affecting 10,000 staffers at U.S. health agencies on Tuesday, as reported by multiple sources familiar with the matter. Security personnel were seen preventing entry to some employees just hours after they received notices of dismissal.
These layoffs, which impact several prominent agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services—including the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health—are part of a comprehensive strategy by President Donald Trump and billionaire associate Elon Musk to reduce the size of the federal government and cut spending.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. characterized the layoffs, along with other recent departures, as crucial for streamlining what he described as a bloated bureaucracy, reducing the total workforce from 82,000 to 62,000.
Critics have expressed concern over the dismissal of leading scientists responsible for public health, cancer research, and drug and vaccine approvals. This raises alarms regarding the nation’s ability to tackle urgent health crises, such as the ongoing measles outbreak and spreading bird flu.
"Our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs. But the reality is clear: what we've been doing isn't working," Kennedy stated on X, emphasizing that these changes are vital for the Department of Health and Human Services to focus on its primary mission of preventing chronic diseases.
Peter Stein, the director of the Office of New Drugs in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, resigned on Tuesday when faced with termination, as per a source. FDA's Center for Tobacco Products division head Brian King was fired, as confirmed in an email he sent to FDA staff, which was reviewed by Reuters. This followed the dismissal of Peter Marks, the FDA's highly regarded top vaccine official.
Staff members have been departing, and some tasked with product reviews report difficulties in meeting deadlines. Former Commissioner Robert Califf lamented the situation, writing on LinkedIn, "The FDA as we've known it is finished, with most of the leaders with institutional knowledge and a deep understanding of product development and safety no longer employed." He added, "I believe that history will see this [as] a huge mistake... It will be interesting to hear from the new leadership how they plan to put 'Humpty Dumpty' back together again."
In downtown Washington, security guards were informing employees of their terminations as they attempted to enter the Mary Switzer Building, which houses various HHS offices and divisions, according to an eyewitness who spoke with Reuters. "Dozens of people have been RIF'd this way so far," the employee noted, mentioning that the group included a deaf individual who required the guard to communicate the news through a phone.
"It now falls on the security guards to tell people they've lost their jobs," said the employee. An FDA worker indicated that employees had to show their badges at the building's entrance, with those terminated given a ticket instructing them to return home. Many had to wait in line for hours, uncertain of what awaited them at the front.
The ticket, which was inspected by Reuters, listed contact numbers for ten different departments for former employees to retrieve their "essential" equipment. An FDA staff member confirmed that 17 individuals in the press office were let go, and FDA's Chief Information Officer Vid Desai also received a termination notification.
Fired employees received emails stating that their terminations did not reflect their service, performance, or conduct and that they were being placed on administrative leave—a move one source attributed to a union requirement mandating 60 days' notice.
Terminations at the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products included the complete dismantling of the Office of Management and the Office of Regulations, according to Mitch Zeller, the center's former director, citing current contacts. "I think that this makes it virtually impossible for CTP to regulate tobacco products," Zeller commented.
Traffic was heavy on the two main roads leading to the NIH's campus in Bethesda, Maryland, where employees were informed of their layoffs early Tuesday morning. Jeanne Marrazzo, who directed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was reported to be terminated and offered a position with the Indian Health Service, as confirmed by a source within NIH.
The cuts coincided with the first day on the job for FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, both confirmed last week by the U.S. Senate.
At the CDC, the layoffs included staff from the National Center for Environmental Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, particularly impacting those involved in the federal response to measles outbreaks, according to another source. A health official noted that employees working directly for HHS were also among those terminated.
Reports indicated that the line to enter the HHS building in Rockville, Maryland, extended from the entrance to the parking lot, with only two security guards screening employees attempting to get in, as confirmed by two sources to Reuters.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
These layoffs, which impact several prominent agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services—including the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health—are part of a comprehensive strategy by President Donald Trump and billionaire associate Elon Musk to reduce the size of the federal government and cut spending.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. characterized the layoffs, along with other recent departures, as crucial for streamlining what he described as a bloated bureaucracy, reducing the total workforce from 82,000 to 62,000.
Critics have expressed concern over the dismissal of leading scientists responsible for public health, cancer research, and drug and vaccine approvals. This raises alarms regarding the nation’s ability to tackle urgent health crises, such as the ongoing measles outbreak and spreading bird flu.
"Our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs. But the reality is clear: what we've been doing isn't working," Kennedy stated on X, emphasizing that these changes are vital for the Department of Health and Human Services to focus on its primary mission of preventing chronic diseases.
Peter Stein, the director of the Office of New Drugs in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, resigned on Tuesday when faced with termination, as per a source. FDA's Center for Tobacco Products division head Brian King was fired, as confirmed in an email he sent to FDA staff, which was reviewed by Reuters. This followed the dismissal of Peter Marks, the FDA's highly regarded top vaccine official.
Staff members have been departing, and some tasked with product reviews report difficulties in meeting deadlines. Former Commissioner Robert Califf lamented the situation, writing on LinkedIn, "The FDA as we've known it is finished, with most of the leaders with institutional knowledge and a deep understanding of product development and safety no longer employed." He added, "I believe that history will see this [as] a huge mistake... It will be interesting to hear from the new leadership how they plan to put 'Humpty Dumpty' back together again."
In downtown Washington, security guards were informing employees of their terminations as they attempted to enter the Mary Switzer Building, which houses various HHS offices and divisions, according to an eyewitness who spoke with Reuters. "Dozens of people have been RIF'd this way so far," the employee noted, mentioning that the group included a deaf individual who required the guard to communicate the news through a phone.
"It now falls on the security guards to tell people they've lost their jobs," said the employee. An FDA worker indicated that employees had to show their badges at the building's entrance, with those terminated given a ticket instructing them to return home. Many had to wait in line for hours, uncertain of what awaited them at the front.
The ticket, which was inspected by Reuters, listed contact numbers for ten different departments for former employees to retrieve their "essential" equipment. An FDA staff member confirmed that 17 individuals in the press office were let go, and FDA's Chief Information Officer Vid Desai also received a termination notification.
Fired employees received emails stating that their terminations did not reflect their service, performance, or conduct and that they were being placed on administrative leave—a move one source attributed to a union requirement mandating 60 days' notice.
Terminations at the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products included the complete dismantling of the Office of Management and the Office of Regulations, according to Mitch Zeller, the center's former director, citing current contacts. "I think that this makes it virtually impossible for CTP to regulate tobacco products," Zeller commented.
Traffic was heavy on the two main roads leading to the NIH's campus in Bethesda, Maryland, where employees were informed of their layoffs early Tuesday morning. Jeanne Marrazzo, who directed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was reported to be terminated and offered a position with the Indian Health Service, as confirmed by a source within NIH.
The cuts coincided with the first day on the job for FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, both confirmed last week by the U.S. Senate.
At the CDC, the layoffs included staff from the National Center for Environmental Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, particularly impacting those involved in the federal response to measles outbreaks, according to another source. A health official noted that employees working directly for HHS were also among those terminated.
Reports indicated that the line to enter the HHS building in Rockville, Maryland, extended from the entrance to the parking lot, with only two security guards screening employees attempting to get in, as confirmed by two sources to Reuters.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
