HHS Cuts 10K Jobs, $1.8B Savings Spark Policy Shake

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A sweeping plan to cut over 10,000 HHS employees has hit a roadblock amid growing backlash and allegations of mismanagement.

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The controversial restructuring targeted major agencies with specific cuts: 3,500 at FDA, 2,400 at CDC, 1,200 at NIH, and 300 at CMS.

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Brad Smith, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), faces criticism for his secretive approach that left senior leaders learning about layoffs through news reports.

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Smith's ties to Main Street Health, a provider regulated by CMS, sparked conflict of interest concerns when CMS appeared to get lighter cuts than other agencies.

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Former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf delivered a grim assessment: "the FDA as we've known it is finished" after key regulatory experts were dismissed.

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The restructuring would merge several agencies into a new "Administration for a Healthy America," raising concerns about disruptions to critical public health functions.

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NIOSH faces particularly devastating cuts—873 positions representing two-thirds of its workforce—potentially undermining workplace safety regulations nationwide.

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International health efforts are also jeopardized, with cuts threatening Gilead's HIV prevention drug rollout and USAID's contraceptive funding for developing nations.

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April 1st marked the beginning of what employees described as a "bloodbath," with workers locked out of buildings and receiving termination emails without warning.

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Legal challenges are mounting as the American Federation of Government Employees files lawsuits and state attorneys general take action to block what they call "pretextual firings."

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