The Department of Health and Human Services is facing spending as well as staffing cuts.
Alex Brandon/AP
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Alex Brandon/AP
A significant reduction in spending is being mandated for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Trump administration. This new directive requires a 35% cut in contract spending, confirmed HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon to NPR.
This budget cut impacts all branches of HHS, encompassing major agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
This financial reduction follows a prior staff downsizing of nearly 25% at HHS. More details about the layoffs can be found here.
“The 35% reduction in HHS contracts is a strategic initiative across all divisions of HHS, with the goal of cutting unnecessary spending, saving taxpayer dollars, and streamlining operations,” stated Nixon in a release.
“Every agency within HHS is committed to reducing contract expenditures by this target. These cuts are designed to ensure that every dollar is used more efficiently while continuing to focus on our core mission of improving public health and services,” he added.
This week, HHS implemented a significant layoff strategy, dismissing thousands of employees as part of its plan to dismiss 10,000 people. This is in addition to about 10,000 staff departures under the Trump administration’s Fork in the Road initiative.
Critics argue these measures might negatively impact public health services. Dr. Robert Steinbrook, health research group director at Public Citizen, described the cuts as “arbitrary and senseless” in an email statement.
“Amid the disorganized mass layoffs of HHS staff and the reorganization of the agency, the rushed cuts are more likely to cause problems than to accomplish anything constructive,” he continued.
Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, commented via email, “This is at best getting water from a stone. They seem to be on a quest to totally destroy the infrastructure of the nation’s public health system. It’s amazing that they are looking to cut the parts of our health system that give the best value for prevention and wellness.”
