Robert F. Kennedy Jr Faces Senate Inquiry Over Deep Cuts to HHS Impacting FDA, CDC, NIH, CMS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr, HHS Secretary, was called to testify before the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions at a hearing scheduled for April 10 by committee chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy (R, Louisiana).¹ The hearing is intended to address Kennedy’s reorganization of HHS following sweeping cuts made to the FDA, CDC, NIH, and CMS this week.

RFK Jr's reorganization of HHS includes up to 10,000 layoffs.

Image credit: Rawf8 - stock.adobe.com

The layoffs are anticipated to impact as many as 10,000 employees in addition to the 10,000 workers taking early retirement or voluntary separation offers, according to an announcement from HHS last week.² The cuts are estimated to amount to nearly a quarter of staff, which would leave the department with 62,000 of its 82,000 positions, with a reduction in force expected to go into effect June 30.

Kennedy criticized the department before assuming his position as the HHS Secretary with the intention of overhauling it in line with the administration’s aim to make government more efficient.³ According to an Associated Press (AP) article, hours after the layoffs began Tuesday morning, Kennedy celebrated the swearing of 2 agency heads, writing on social media, “The revolution begins today!”⁴

However, agency staff, leaders, and experts in the field have expressed concern about the consequences these actions will have on public health, medicine, and biomedical research.⁵ Robert Califf, the former FDA commissioner, took to LinkedIn Tuesday morning after being “overwhelmed with messages about the firings,” according to The Hill.

“The FDA as we’ve known it is finished, with most of the leaders with institutional knowledge and a deep understanding of product development and safety no longer employed,” Califf wrote on LinkedIn.

FDA

As of April 1, 3500 positions at the FDA were eliminated, including the entire communications team.⁶ Officials like Peter Marks, MD, PhD, the FDA’s top vaccine regulator, and Brian King, MD, head of the Center for Tobacco Products, were forced out. More than 800 staffers were laid off from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, which oversees drug approvals and safety monitoring.

According to NPR, former FDA leader Scott Gottlieb, MD, stated on X that the cuts could undermine drug approvals and public health protections. Many affected employees were funded by industry-paid user fees rather than taxpayer dollars, meaning the layoffs won’t reduce federal spending, likely hindering the FDA’s ability to regulate drugs and medical products efficiently and potentially leading to delays in access to new treatments.

NIH

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is facing significant budget cuts, with around 1200 jobs expected to be eliminated in addition to over 1000 NIH employees who have already been fired by the administration, predominantly affecting scientists, communications, IT, and support staff. Several high-ranking officials, including Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, and other institute directors, have been offered reassignment, leading to a pervasive sense of despair among employees.

Critics, including former NIH leaders, have expressed outrage over the scale of the cuts, describing them as unprecedented and alarming. The situation comes at a time of transition, as Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, assumes the role of NIH director and acknowledges the agency's vital mission amidst ongoing scrutiny and financial challenges, including previous departures and canceled grants.

CMS and Community Assistance Programs

Other key federal agencies that are responsible for health care, aging, disability support, and energy assistance were also impacted by this week’s cuts.⁴ CMS is expected to cut 300 jobs, with reductions concentrated in the Office of Minority Health, Office of Equal Rights and Opportunity, and the Office of Program Operations & Local Engagement.

The Administration for Community Living, which oversees federal aging and disability policies, lost 40% of its workforce.⁶ The former acting administrator and assistant secretary for aging, Alison Barkoff, warned that the cuts could disrupt critical services, including senior centers and meal programs that provide 216 million meals annually to older adults and people with disabilities.

Additionally, every staff member from the Division of Energy Assistance, which runs the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), was laid off. LIHEAP assists 5.9 million low-income households with heating and cooling costs. With funding set to expire in September, former employees fear the program’s future is in jeopardy.

Lawmakers Call for Clarity on Health Changes

The recent HHS reorganization plans have also raised significant concerns among lawmakers from both parties, prompting calls for transparency and accountability from Kennedy.⁷ Sens. Patty Murray (D, Washington), Tammy Baldwin (D, Wisconsin), Cassidy, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D, Connecticut) questioned the legality of the changes and the lack of clear communication regarding their potential impact on American health. With the upcoming hearing set for April 10, Kennedy is expected to address these issues and elucidate his goals amid growing apprehension over the administration's actions.

References

1. Reuters. US Senator Cassidy calls on Kennedy to appear before Senate panel over health agency cuts. April 1, 2025. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-senator-cassidy-calls-kennedy-appear-before-senate-panel-over-health-agency-2025-04-01/

2. HHS announces transformation to make America healthy again. News release. HHS. March 27, 2025. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/hhs-restructuring-doge.html

3. Munz K. Robert F. Kennedy Jr confirmed as HHS Secretary, nearly along party lines. AJMC. February 13, 2025. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.ajmc.com/view/robert-f-kennedy-jr-confirmed-as-hhs-secretary-nearly-along-party-lines

4. Associated Press. Here’s where jobs and programs are being cut at the nation’s top health agencies. April 1, 2025. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://apnews.com/article/trump-hhs-cdc-fda-nih-cms-layoffs-5aba829b829d9e1a0167c4a0d968aadb

5. Fortinsky S. ‘FDA as we’ve known it is finished’: former commissioner. The Hill. April 1, 2025. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5226193-fda-commissioner-robert-califf-laidoffs/

6. Stein R, Lupkin S, Simmons-Duffin S, Shapiro J, Wroth C, Noguchi Y. Widespread firings start at federal health agencies including many in leadership. NPR. April 1, 2025. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/01/g-s1-57485/hhs-fda-layoffs-doge-cdc-nih

7. Choi J, Weixel N. 4 key takeaways as Trump’s sweeping HHS layoffs begin. The Hill. April 2, 2025. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5226962-hhs-mass-layoffs-cuts/