The Trump administration ordered mass firings on Tuesday in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of its strategy to cut 10,000 positions at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), sources close to the matter told us.
An FDA staffer said that personnel were asked to display their badges at the door of the building, and terminated workers were issued a ticket and told to go home.
The CDC layoffs were among workers of the National Center for Environmental Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, a second source said.
HHS officials have yet to comment on the dismissals.
The reductions in staff are a part of a larger effort by President Donald Trump, with support from billionaire Elon Musk, to reduce federal agencies and decrease levels of government workforce. The administration has stressed its intention of simplifying operations and lowering costs in federal departments, even as concern over the effects on public health programs increases.
The layoffs are at a bad time, raising concerns about the future ability of the CDC and FDA to effectively respond to health emergencies. Critics contend that the cuts could undermine important public health programs and regulatory protections.
