Hand-in-hand with worries about an inflationary economy and the rising costs of food and necessities, is the state of our healthcare. It’s bad enough that medicine and medical treatments continue to rise but if the federal manpower behind keeping us all safe from infectious diseases, warning us of bacteria-laden food and conducting ongoing research prioritizing Americans’ health is now jeopardized because of Washington’s preoccupation for job cuts, then our future looks not just uncertain—but unsafe. With the announcement of mass layoffs across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including 3,500 jobs at the FDA, 2,400 at the CDC, and over a thousand at the NIH, the very agencies charged with keeping us healthy are being hollowed out from within. In total, up to 10,000 employees will be terminated, with another 10,000 pushed into early retirement or voluntary exit — amounting to nearly a quarter of the department’s workforce.
These cuts come amid an already fragile moment in public health. Measles outbreaks are spreading, and climate-related disasters increasingly demand coordinated health responses. Yet this administration’s restructuring plan—under the pretext of efficiency—is gutting the institutions we rely on for tracking disease, ensuring food and drug safety, and conducting critical health research.
The rollback of $11 billion in COVID-era funding has already triggered layoffs at local and state levels, further unraveling the public health safety net in communities that depend on these resources for crisis response, vaccine outreach, and basic health services.
Equally concerning is the simultaneous removal of collective bargaining rights for many of these workers—undermining morale and leaving remaining staff vulnerable and without recourse at a time when their work has never been more vital.
While Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Trump argue that HHS has become an inefficient bureaucracy, their aggressive cuts show little regard for our lives and communities which these agencies are meant to serve.
A weaker federal health apparatus leaves us more exposed—to food-borne illnesses, to emerging infectious diseases, and to preventable tragedies that rely on swift, coordinated responses.
Call to Action: Stay informed and demand transparency from your elected officials. Contact your congressional representatives and urge them to push back on reckless cuts that jeopardize public health. Support local public health efforts and stay engaged in community health initiatives. Most importantly, vote with public health in mind—because the safety of our future depends on who’s at the helm of these decisions. Go beyond the headlines…
Almost 40 percent of Americans report facing extreme weather: Survey
EU readies counterstrike on Big Tech and US banks over Trump’s mega tariffs
Layoffs begin at US health agencies charged with tracking disease, researching, regulating food
Could Trump’s Tariffs Lead to a Recession? What Experts Say
Psychology Explains Why Some People Buy So Much Stuff
Extremely Weird Rock Found on Mars Looks Like Nothing Else Around It
Two moms pioneer app to teach kids crucial money skills
