U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy announced today that HHS will lay off 10,000 workers, about an eighth of the department’s workforce, and shut down entire agencies. Another 10,000 workers have already taken the early retirement and separation package offered by the administration.
Below is a statement by Dr. Jennifer Jones, the director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“This announcement is shocking. There is no way that HHS will be able to continue providing the lifesaving services and research it is mandated to provide after losing a quarter of its workforce between the layoffs and early separation packages.
“These are people who ensure our medications and food supplies are safe, help protect us against infectious diseases, and conduct research to treat disease and help people live longer, healthier lives. HHS staff also oversee Medicaid and Medicare, the health insurance programs critical for low-income and elderly Americans as well as those with disabilities.
“Keep in mind, these cuts are brought to you by a man who has made a career out of peddling fringe conspiracy theories and misinformation. He is part of an administration that is incompetent and corrupt. He’s known for his debunked anti-vaccine rhetoric, and his response to the deadly measles outbreak in Texas, which has spread to other states, has been nothing short of inept.
“Secretary Kennedy minimizes this action as ‘a painful period’ for the agencies, ignoring the pain that will be inflicted on everyone in this country.”