Layoffs Hit CDC Amid Shutdown
As layoff notices were distributed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on October 10, Aryn Melton Backus found herself hoping for the best. But then the email arrived: she was included in a significant workforce reduction during the government shutdown. This wasn’t a new experience for her; she had previously been laid off from the CDC via email—twice before this year.
In fact, Backus has faced layoffs and subsequent reinstatements three times just this year. Her situation highlights the ongoing challenges and disorder within U.S. health agencies as officials make extensive cuts to both staff and programs crucial for public health.
According to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the latest layoffs related to the shutdown are illegal. The union is currently suing the government to halt these terminations, which have already reduced the CDC’s workforce by a quarter through several rounds of layoffs.
Some of those who were forced to work without pay during the shutdown received layoff notices, while others who were furloughed discovered they would not be returning to their roles. It’s also notable that individuals expected to be shielded from these cuts due to an ongoing lawsuit were affected as well. The CDC’s human resources department, brought back from furlough to manage these layoffs, ultimately faced cuts themselves and was entirely eliminated.
Ironically, many departments legally required to continue functioning will be left without staff due to these cuts. This includes the ethics office and the institutional review board (IRB); the loss of these entities means that the CDC will struggle to ensure research integrity and ethical standards. Furthermore, all library staff members, essential for ongoing research, have been let go, along with the Washington office that coordinated policy briefings for Congress.
Other departments such as the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the staff managing national health and nutrition surveys, and those involved in suicide prevention were similarly affected.
As a result of these pervasive cuts, the CDC’s ability to fulfill its mission has been significantly compromised, even as some personnel remain. Karen Remley, a former director at the CDC, emphasized that losing critical teams, like the one behind the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), compromises essential public health data.
Backus and her colleagues have also faced disturbing incidents, including a tragic shooting at the CDC headquarters, which left an officer dead and has deeply affected staff morale and safety.
In addition to these challenges, there has been a troubling trend of personal information being exposed about health agency employees. The atmosphere at the CDC has been punctuated by anxiety, following high-profile departures and an alarming new initiative targeting staff members.
With the senior leadership at the CDC reportedly lacking medical and public health professionals, the consequences of these layoffs could resonate throughout public health initiatives. Tighe, a former CDC employee, articulated growing concerns about the impact of these widespread cuts on the general public.
The initial wave of layoffs at the CDC occurred on Valentine’s Day, affecting both new hires and senior staff alike. A judge later ruled that some layoffs had been excessive, leading to a handful of reinstatements.
However, more layoffs were rolled out on April 1, including Backus’s department, where she initially didn’t even receive her notice because her access to necessary systems had been cut off. She believed she was safe, given legal protections against such terminations, but was surprised to receive yet another notice, which was quickly retracted after less than a day. Even so, approximately 600 employees remain without jobs.
“I’m still unable to perform my duties and remain in limbo,” Backus mentioned, underscoring the confusion and challenges overwhelming federal employees as they try to navigate this chaotic landscape.
Charlotte Kent, a former editor-in-chief at the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), shared similar frustrations, highlighting inefficiencies that waste taxpayer dollars amid ongoing legal battles surrounding these layoffs. Notably, the MMWR was another department heavily affected by the cuts, despite being specifically mentioned in budget requests.
One former employee compared their experience to being trapped in a game without rules, expressing a sense of unpredictability about what would happen next. John Brooks, a former chief medical officer at the CDC, echoed concerns about the implications these layoffs pose for the agency’s capability to communicate with Congress, which could hinder public health responses.
While the Trump administration blames a coding error for some of the layoffs, many observers, including Tighe, argue that this appears to be a systematic approach to undermine public health resources rather than an administrative mistake.
Tighe described the firings as a calculated attack on public health that puts ordinary Americans at risk. “We’re facing an uncertain and frightening path,” she concluded, advocating for congressional intervention to support the CDC and public health initiatives.
