HHS to cut 10,000 jobs, ‘streamline’ operations

WASHINGTON – The Health and Human Services Department is planning dramatic staffing cuts to the agency, with the stated goal of saving taxpayer dollars and streamlining operations, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Thursday morning.

The department outlined plans to cut 10,000 jobs, in addition to the about 10,000 employees who left voluntarily earlier this year.

In total, the effort will result in downsizing the department from 82,000 full-time employees to about 62,000 – about a 24% reduction.

The cuts would include a reduction of 3,500 full-time employees from the Food and Drug Administration, 2,400 employees from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,200 from the National Institutes of Health and 300 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, according to an HHS fact sheet.

“Over time, bureaucracies like HHS become wasteful and inefficient even when most of their staff are dedicated and competent civil servants,” Kennedy said in a statement.

In a letter to the FDA’s union obtained by CQ Roll Call, the FDA’s human resources office said specific notices to employees could be sent out as early as Friday.

HHS said it does not plan any further reductions other than those announced but will look for additional ways to streamline its functions.

The reductions are an effort to align the department with President Donald Trump’s executive order in February to implement the Department of Government Efficiency Service Workforce Optimization initiative.

In a separate video shared to X, Kennedy said the changes would “eliminate an entire alphabet soup of departments.”

The restructuring would consolidate the department’s 28 divisions into 15. It would also create the new Administration for a Healthy America, which would combine parts of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

“We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic,” Kennedy said. “This Department will do more – a lot more – at a lower cost to the taxpayer.”

As part of the changes, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response would move under the CDC, and several Administration for Community Living programs would move under CMS and the Administration for Children and Families.

It would also cut in half the number of regional offices to five.

Kennedy also announced the creation of a new role of assistant secretary for enforcement to oversee the functions of the Departmental Appeals Board, the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, and the Office for Civil Rights.

He also announced the creation of an Office of Strategy, which would combine the functions of the assistant secretary for planning and evaluation and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The major cuts come as Trump is still filling out his HHS leadership. The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Martin Makary to helm the FDA and Jay Bhattacharya to helm NIH.

Makary said during his confirmation hearing that he would review the recent cuts at the FDA.

“I have not been involved in any of the decisions regarding any of the personnel changes recently, but if confirmed, you have my commitment that I’ll do an assessment,” he said during his March 6 appearance before the Senate, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

The Senate Finance Committee earlier this week advanced the nomination of Mehmet Oz to lead CMS, but the Senate has yet to take up the nomination on the floor.

The Senate also has yet to hold a hearing with Trump’s pick to lead the CDC, current acting Director Susan Monarez. Monarez was selected for the role after David Weldon’s nomination was pulled just hours before he was set to appear for his hearing before the Senate HELP Committee earlier this month.