Democratic leader of the House committee seeks specifics on job cuts within the Health and Human Services department
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has embarked on a significant restructuring, resulting in the loss of approximately 25% of its staff. This move follows a Supreme Court ruling that allowed the agency to proceed with its reorganisation, despite ongoing litigation and a preliminary injunction that initially protected key HHS units involved in critical public health functions.
In response to the thousands of federal employees who have been laid off this year at HHS, and the thousands more who left voluntarily or through attrition, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week. Scott raised concerns that HHS was continuing with broader downsizing efforts, outside the scope of the preliminary injunction, and expressed disappointment that the department had not provided comprehensive information about its activities to downsize the department to Congress.
The restructuring involves consolidating 28 divisions into 15 and reducing 10 regional offices to 5, aiming at organisational streamlining but resulting in significant workforce losses. These reductions have impacted HHS’s mission by reducing workforce capacity, which analysts fear may undermine the agency's ability to effectively manage public health programs and the healthcare delivery system. There are concerns about how cuts might affect key healthcare access and public health functions, especially amid other federal policy changes such as new Medicaid work requirements and funding caps.
HHS first outlined its plans for agency cuts in March, including the elimination of the Administration for Community Living. However, some of the HHS layoffs were reversed in June and May, with the CDC reinstating 800 employees and NIH and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reinstating a portion of the employees they had terminated earlier.
The agency is navigating legal and administrative challenges around the Reduction in Force (RIF) process as litigation and political debates continue. A federal judge ruled in July that the mass layoffs at HHS were likely unlawful, and ordered the Trump administration to halt its plans to downsize and restructure the department. However, HHS proceeded with finalizing RIFs and officially terminating thousands of agency positions on July 14, after the Supreme Court's ruling.
In his letter, Scott requested a detailed spreadsheet from HHS on the agency's terminations earlier this year, including the number of employees removed, their divisions, job titles, and General Schedule positions. Scott asked HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to respond to the inquiry by Aug. 18.
Sources:
- Associated Press
- The Washington Post
- Politico
- CNN
- NPR
- The reimagined federal workforce at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) faces challenges amidst ongoing policy-and-legislation changes, as concerns about staffing levels and the impact of the workforce restructuring on key healthcare access and public health functions arise.
- The ongoing reorganisation of HHS, including consolidation and regional office reductions, has led to a significant decrease in the workforce, which some analysts believe may jeopardize the department's ability to manage public health programs and healthcare delivery effectively, particularly in light of recent federal policy adjustments like new Medicaid work requirements and funding caps.
- In the midst of this reorganisation, political debates and legal challenges continue, as evidenced by a federal judge's ruling that the mass layoffs at HHS were likely unlawful, and the subsequent Supreme Court decision allowing the department to proceed with its restructuring.
