HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has acknowledged that mistakes may have been made in the recent dismissal of 10,000 agency employees, suggesting that around 20% of affected individuals may have their jobs reinstated.
“Personnel that should not have been cut, were cut. We’re reinstating them,” Mr. Kennedy told reporters April 3, according to CBS News. “And that was always the plan. Part of the [Department of Government Efficiency], we talked about this from the beginning, is we’re going to do 80% cuts, but 20% of those are going to have to be reinstated, because we’ll make mistakes.”
Agency employees — including 3,500 at the FDA and 2,400 at the CDC — began receiving dismissal notices April 1. The layoffs are part of a broader effort to restructure HHS and reduce its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 employees. The plan, first announced March 27, is intended to save taxpayers $1.8 billion annually and aligns with the goals of the Department of Government Efficiency, a task force created by President Donald Trump and led by Elon Musk to reduce the size of the federal government. Roughly 10,000 of the cuts are slated to come from layoffs, with the remaining reductions coming through buyouts.
The CDC’s Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch is among programs that were inadvertently eliminated through the job cuts, Mr. Kennedy said. As of April 3, CDC officials told CBS News they had not heard of plans to reinstate the program, which monitors blood lead levels in children. It is unclear which other programs dismantled through HHS’ restructuring efforts may be restored.
FDA officials also said a handful of laid-off employees have been asked to return temporarily.
Becker’s has reached out to HHS and will update this report if more information becomes available.
Three more federal health updates:
1. Judge blocks $11B in public health funding cuts: On April 3, a federal judge in Rhode Island temporarily blocked HHS from canceling more than $11 billion in grants to state health departments, The New York Times reported. Judge Mary McElroy granted a temporary restraining order to block the cuts from taking effect, after 23 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the abrupt clawback of public health funds. On March 25, state health departments began receiving notices that $11.4 billion in CDC grants were being canceled immediately. The grants supported a range of public health efforts, from infectious disease tracking to childhood vaccination programs. Ms. McElroy scheduled a hearing to determine next steps for April 16.
2. HHS to cut contract spending: HHS agencies have been ordered to cut spending on contracts by 35%, an agency spokesperson confirmed to NPR on April 3. The contract spending cuts will apply to all HHS divisions, including the National Institutes of Health, the CDC and CMS.
“The 35% reduction in HHS contracts is a strategic initiative across all divisions of HHS, with the goal of cutting unnecessary spending, saving taxpayer dollars, and streamlining operations,” Andrew Nixon, HHS spokesperson, told the news outlet. “Every agency within HHS is committed to reducing contract expenditures by this target. These cuts are designed to ensure that every dollar is used more efficiently while continuing to focus on our core mission of improving public health and services.”
3. Dr. Oz confirmed to lead CMS: The Senate voted along party lines April 3 to confirm Mehmet Oz, MD, as CMS administrator. He will oversee healthcare coverage for more than 160 million Americans through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and ACA marketplace.
