Trump admin lays out who exactly was fired at HHS in face of ‘Democrat hysteria’
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Continues to Grow Despite Recent Cuts
Despite recent cuts within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a recent report from Fox News Digital has revealed that the agency still employs more people than it did in 2019. According to a senior Trump administration official, there have been 6,000 departures from HHS since Inauguration Day, but the agency still employs nearly 6,000 more people than it did in 2019.
The report also highlighted that hiring at HHS has increased significantly between fiscal year 2019 and 2024, with a 17% increase in full-time employees by 2024. Additionally, the official noted that 50% of overall jobs created in the U.S. in 2024 were indirect or direct government jobs.
Despite concerns raised by Democrats about layoffs within HHS agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the official clarified that every operating division within HHS has either more or roughly stagnant headcount relative to fiscal year 2019.
In response to the recent changes within HHS, President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which is focused on investigating and addressing the root causes of America’s escalating health crisis. The commission, led by newly confirmed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will initially focus on childhood chronic diseases such as autism.
While news reports initially suggested widespread layoffs within HHS agencies, the Trump administration explained that those terminated over the weekend were probationary employees, rather than long-term essential personnel. The recent culling did not include key personnel focused on emergency preparedness and response, research scientists at the CDC or NIH, frontline healthcare providers, or employees working on Medicare and Medicaid.
Kennedy, who pledged to scrutinize the department’s previous operations and ensure tax dollars were spent on improving healthy foods and providing unbiased scientific reports, has already begun working towards these goals. The recently established MAHA commission will investigate chronic conditions for both adults and children, with a particular focus on autism.
State lawmakers have also introduced bills aimed at advancing priorities championed by Kennedy and the MAHA movement, including measures to prohibit junk food in school lunches and amend state vaccine rules.
Overall, despite recent changes and concerns within HHS, the agency continues to grow and focus on improving the health and well-being of Americans under the leadership of Secretary Kennedy.
