In a development that’s hardly a surprise, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., taking the helm of the Health and Human Services (HHS), has unleashed a bold restructuring plan, resulting in the layoff of 10,000 employees starting April 1, 2025.
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This decisive action targets a bureaucracy criticized for being bloated and aims to reduce wasteful spending.
Yet, as Kennedy carves deep into HHS, the impact has triggered mixed reactions from supporters of leaner government to concerned unions.
The massive overhaul comes as part of a broader strategy initiated by the Trump administration to align federal agencies with fiscal prudence.
Kennedy’s plan includes slashing the workforce by encouraging early retirements, bringing the total staff reduction to 20,000 through both layoffs and voluntary departures.
When combined with early retirements, the restructuring envisions downsizing from 82,000 to 62,000 positions.
The agency’s restructuring focuses on creating a more efficient operation that aligns with its core mission amidst declining health outcomes and rising costs.
The plan includes consolidating 28 divisions into 15 main units and establishing a new office, dubbed the “Administration for a Healthy America,” to manage crucial services like addiction and community health centers.
Specific job losses include 3,500 positions at the FDA, 2,400 at the CDC, 1,200 at the NIH, and 300 at CMS.
Entire divisions are being eliminated, including mining worker safety and the Division of Oral Health.
Kennedy’s efforts to consolidate and streamline the agency are projected to save taxpayers $1.3 billion annually.
“There are cuts across the federal government. It’s hard on everybody. But our agency, which is the biggest agency in government, twice the size of Pentagon … grew by 38% [in] budget during the Biden administration,” Kennedy, cited by The New York Post.
This effort responds to the concerns that HHS had grown inefficient and unwieldy.
“Some of these little fiefdoms are so insulated and territorial they hoard our patient medical data and sell it for profit to each other,” Kennedy remarked, highlighting inefficiencies.
Not everyone welcomes these changes. Employee unions decry the potential loss of services, while former officials worry about losing institutional knowledge.
Former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf lamented, “The FDA as we’ve known it is finished, with most of the leaders with institutional knowledge and a deep understanding of product development and safety no longer employed.”
While critics fear the cuts could compromise health services, Kennedy insists these measures aim for a more accountable and focused agency.
The long-term goal underscores a commitment to sound governance that emphasizes efficiency and fiscal responsibility, a move sure to find favor with supporters of smaller government.
Employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) line up outside the Mary E. Switzer Memorial Building in Washington, after it was reported that the Trump administration embarked on its plan to cut 10,000 jobs at HHS. Photo by Kevin Lamarque pic.twitter.com/tb9HiqNTNV
— corinne_perkins (@corinne_perkins) April 1, 2025
