In a dramatic overhaul of the nation’s health agencies, the Trump administration has begun a wave of mass layoffs at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and National Institutes of Health (NIH). The restructuring aims to downsize the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) workforce by 20,000 positions, with half of them being direct layoffs and the rest coming from early retirements or voluntary departures. This move has sparked intense controversy, with experts warning of dire consequences for public health.
The cuts have had an especially severe impact on the CDC, where entire divisions focused on critical health issues such as HIV prevention, reproductive health, and health equity have been dismantled. At the FDA, regulatory teams responsible for tobacco policies and public communication have been gutted, while the NIH is set to lose over 1,200 employees. Many top officials and scientists have been reassigned to other agencies, raising concerns about the future of key health initiatives.
Public health experts fear that these drastic job losses could weaken the country’s ability to respond to ongoing health crises, including a rising measles outbreak and the looming threat of avian flu. The departure of high-ranking officials, such as Peter Stein and Brian King from the FDA, has further fueled uncertainty over the agencies’ ability to operate effectively. Critics argue that these cuts could erode trust in federal health institutions and leave the nation vulnerable to future health emergencies.
The implementation of the layoffs has been chaotic, with employees arriving at work only to be informed by security that they had lost their jobs. Confusion has gripped multiple agencies, as long lines of displaced workers scramble for clarity on their employment status. Former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf has called the decision one of the most damaging in recent history, warning of long-term repercussions for medical research and public health.
The backlash has been swift, with over 1,900 scientists signing an open letter condemning the administration’s actions. They argue that the mass layoffs, combined with funding cuts and growing censorship, threaten scientific progress and weaken the nation’s ability to address pressing health challenges. Many are now calling on the scientific and medical communities to unite in defense of public health, urging policymakers to reverse course before irreparable harm is done.
