The recent actions by the Trump administration at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have left officials feeling quite unsettled.
A wave of layoffs starting late Friday has impacted over a dozen divisions and centers, including teams that handle infectious disease outbreaks and immunization efforts. It’s a significant blow. But then, in a surprising twist, the administration appears to be hurriedly reversing some of these layoffs, adding to the confusion.
This development occurs during the second week of a government shutdown, as President Trump aims to trim the government workforce. Officials have directed blame at the Democratic Party, asserting that the layoffs were intended as a form of retribution.
Last week at the White House, President Trump mentioned that these layoffs, which are fairly unusual during a government shutdown, would mainly target what he termed “Democratic” programs.
Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), stated, “Due to the Democratic-led government shutdown, HHS workers across various departments have received layoff notices.”
Notably, he added, “Employees labeled as non-essential by their departments received these notices. HHS is focused on closing redundant and inefficient organizations, especially those conflicting with the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ policy.”
Here’s what to keep in mind:
Over 1,000 laid off, but hundreds brought back
A recent court filing by the Trump administration indicated that around 4,200 federal workers across seven agencies were set to receive troop reduction notifications. It is estimated that 1,100 to 1,200 employees from the Department of Health and Human Services could be impacted.
This information was sent out via email shortly after 9:00 PM EDT during the holiday weekend.
According to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2883, representing CDC workers in Atlanta, over 1,300 CDC employees were laid off during the shutdown, with many alleging retaliatory reasons behind the terminations.
Remarkably, within a day of the initial notifications, around 700 employees were informed that their layoffs had been reversed due to what the administration called a coding error.
Prior to the layoffs, the CDC employed around 11,400 individuals.
Among the earliest to be dismissed and then reinstated was the head of the Center for Global Health, which includes the CDC’s global offices. Also included were those involved in producing vital morbidity and mortality reports, along with some Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) workers, usually the first responders during disease outbreaks.
Damage to public health
Richard Besser, a former acting head of the CDC, criticized the current administration, stating, “They continue to dismantle critical components of America’s already weakened public health framework. Using a government shutdown as an excuse to let go of essential health officials is both cruel and reckless. The repercussions of this will be far-reaching.”
A coalition of infectious disease experts expressed in a statement that undermining the CDC’s foundational functions severely compromises its ability to monitor and mitigate health threats across the nation.
With the confusion surrounding which staff have been laid off or retained, both medical professionals and the public are understandably left uncertain about which health services to rely on.
The effects of the CDC’s turmoil are extensive and uneven.
“Did no one consider the implications of firing people involved in tracking Ebola? Did they not care to know who they were terminating and their roles?” questioned Greg Gonsalves from the Network to Defend Public Health.
The complete removal of the CDC’s Washington, D.C., office is raising alarms among lawmakers, given its role in facilitating briefings and investigations from Congress.
Leadership changes
Debra Hawley, who resigned as the agency’s chief medical officer in protest earlier this year, noted disparities within departments: some remain intact while others have lost their leaders.
She pointed out that the ethics division has been dissolved entirely.
“It seems illogical to eliminate the office responsible for reviewing conflicts of interest, especially with the director addressing those very conflicts,” she remarked.
Some departments had previously secured protection from layoffs through court orders, yet these recent actions could lead to new legal challenges.
The focus on the CDC
The CDC has been in upheaval since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the helm as Secretary of Health. His critical stance towards CDC officials has led to a significant loss of personnel, with about a third of the staff let go in a prior wave of layoffs.
These cuts came about a month after he sought to bring in “new blood” during a congressional testimony.
This turmoil coincides with a recent shooting incident where a gunman fired hundreds of rounds into the Atlanta headquarters of the agency, resulting in the death of an officer. Shortly afterward, Kennedy dismissed Agency Chief Susan Monares, with one of her deputies assuming an interim role.
The HHS has been tight-lipped regarding details since the incidents unfolded. “The gravity with which this administration handles critical public health matters is astounding. The CDC was already suffering earlier this year, and those remaining are working tirelessly to safeguard us. If these layoffs are not reversed, the consequences for public health could be dire,” Gonsalves warned.
Awry expressed skepticism about the safety of those reinstated, indicating that they could still face further cuts.
“We’re worried that these areas may undergo changes if HHS reconfigures,” he stated. “This could signal a potential restructuring.”
One recently laid-off employee shared that he had been bracing for a layoff notice ever since budget proposals hinted at reducing many agency centers.
“It feels like a roller coaster,” he said.
