The Donald Trump administration, which has moved to restructure the federal government, has decided to lay off about 10,000 employees from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Minister of the Department of Health and Human Services, criticized inefficient and indiscriminate bureaucracy on the 27th (local time) and stated, "We can do more with fewer resources," while announcing such plans.
According to the Associated Press, the cuts will affect the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which oversees pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and food safety standards, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which manages public health situations such as infectious diseases, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is a public health research agency, and those responsible for health insurance for the elderly and low-income populations.
The Department of Health and Human Services currently has 82,000 employees. However, in addition to the 10,000 being laid off, another 10,000 are expected to leave the Department as part of a so-called voluntary retirement program led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The department claimed it could save $1.8 billion in expenses through this.
The Department of Health and Human Services plans to establish the "Administration for a Healthy America (AHA)" and merge organizations such as the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).