Former Health Agency Heads React to Federal Layoffs at NIH, CDC, and FDA

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Last week, the Trump administration ordered all federal agencies to lay off all probationary workers. As a result, hundreds of workers at the CDC, FDA, and NIH were laid off. The firings began last Friday and continued through the holiday weekend.

Workers remaining at the agencies are unsure if more terminations are coming or not. NPR reports that about 750 workers at the CDC have been laid off, but also that agency said it expects to lose a total of 1,300 jobs when all is said and done.¹ NPR also reports that between 1,000 to 1,200 workers at the NIH also received termination notices.

However, some workers were reportedly able to save their jobs after being deemed essential. The report also states that workers at FDA focused on research and approval of medical devices were impacted by the layoffs.

Former agency leaders publicly condemned these firings. In a statement posted to LinkedIn,² former administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration Carole Johnson shared a statement that said, “We are honored to have worked with dedicated and skilled public servants who have been leading the fight for a healthier America at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Trump Administration now has begun arbitrarily removing HHS staff from their positions, leaving no doubt that the health and well-being of families and communities across the country will suffer as a result.”

The statement continues to list the services that these workers provide, such as ensuring safe food and water, running health insurance programs that cover half of Americans, detecting and responding to infectious disease threats, ensuring that new drugs and devices are safe, and more.

The statement shared by Johnson is signed by former officials from the NIH, CMS, FDA, CDC, and other agencies. Mandy Cohen, former head of the CDC, and Robert Califf, former commissioner of FDA, signed their names to the statement.

The layoffs are part of a larger plan by the Trump Administration to reduce the federal workforce.

In a statement obtained by NPR, HHS director of communications Andrew Nixon said, "HHS is following the Administration's guidance and taking action to support the President's broader efforts to restructure and streamline the federal government. This is to ensure that HHS better serves the American people at the highest and most efficient standard."

Sources

1. Stone, Will; Huang, Pien. Health Agencies Lose Staff Members in Key Areas as Trump Firings Set In. NPR. February 17, 2025. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/17/nx-s1-5300052/federal-employees-layoffs-cdc-nih-fda
2. Johnson, Carole. We Owe Them a Debt of Gratitude, Not a Pink Slip. LinkedIn. February 18, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7297409290359726080/