Employees across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) received notifications on Tuesday that their jobs would be eliminated as part of a comprehensive restructuring aimed at significantly reducing the size of agencies responsible for safeguarding and promoting public health.
The layoffs affect a broad range of positions, including researchers, scientists, doctors, support staff, and senior leaders. This shakeup is set to leave the federal government without many key experts who have traditionally guided decisions on critical issues such as medical research, drug approvals, and public health policy.
In a social media post, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. celebrated the arrival of new leadership, writing, “The revolution begins today!” His message highlighted the recent swearing-in of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya as the new director of the National Institutes of Health and Martin Makary as the new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Kennedy’s post came just hours after employees began receiving emails notifying them of their layoffs.
Later, Kennedy expressed sympathy for those affected, stating, “Our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs,” but emphasized that the department must be “recalibrated” to prioritize disease prevention.
The layoffs follow Kennedy’s announcement last week of a bold plan to remake the HHS. Through its various agencies, the department plays a critical role in tracking health trends, responding to disease outbreaks, funding medical research, ensuring the safety of food and medicines, and managing health insurance programs that cover nearly half of the U.S. population.
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