10,000 HHS Jobs Slashed as RFK Jr. Announces New Direction for American Health
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Thursday it will cut 10,000 full-time jobs and reorient the direction of the department. These roles are “tasked with responding to disease outbreaks, approving new drugs, providing insurance for the poorest Americans and more,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
Since Trump’s election, a reported 10,000 additional HHS employees have stepped away from their jobs. This will cut the overall number of HHS employees by a quarter, from 82,000 to 62,000.
This “reorganization” is in accordance with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s health agenda.
The HHS website states “It will streamline the functions of the Department.” This will be done by restructuring 28 HHS divisions into 15 new ones, the most notable of which is the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA)
According to the HHS, AHA “will centralize core functions such as Human Resources, Information Technology, Procurement, External Affairs, and Policy. Regional offices will be reduced from 10 to 5.”
The department’s overhaul will also implement a new HHS priority of “ending America’s epidemic of chronic illness.” This will be executed through emphasizing “safe, wholesome food,” clean water, and the removal of toxins in the environment.
Secretary Kennedy addressed the nature of bureaucracy and how the HHS became one: “We aren’t just reducing bureaucratic sprawl. We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic… Over time, bureaucracies like HHS become wasteful and inefficient even when most of their staff are dedicated and competent civil servants. This overhaul will be a win-win for taxpayers and for those that HHS serves. That’s the entire American public, because our goal is to Make America Healthy Again.”
