Staff and advocates at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gathered in August to oppose budget cuts. This past weekend, the agency saw another wave of layoffs affecting hundreds of employees.
Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Over the recent long weekend, approximately 600 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were dismissed, marking a continuation of the Trump Administration’s efforts to reduce federal workforce numbers amid the shutdown-delay-economic-reports/” title=”Potential Government … Threatens Timely Release of Crucial Economic Reports: NPR”>ongoing government shutdown.
The process was fraught with confusion. On Friday, more than 1,300 CDC workers received termination notices. Many had already been furloughed due to the shutdown and only learned about their job losses after Russell Vought, the Office of Management and Budget director, announced on X that the reduction in force (RIF) actions had commenced.
However, the following day, nearly 700 of these employees were informed via email that their termination notices were being withdrawn, according to data from the National Public Health Coalition (NPHC), an organization of former CDC personnel.
Aryn Melton Backus, a health communication expert from the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health who has been on administrative leave for several months, was among those affected. This marked the third time this year she received a termination notice.
“There’s no clear explanation as to why some programs were cut while others remained intact,” Backus stated during a press briefing hosted by NPHC on Tuesday. “At this stage, it feels like the disorder and opacity are intentional.”
In a court document filed Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cited “data inconsistencies and administrative errors” as reasons behind the rapid issuance and subsequent withdrawal of some termination notices.
Ultimately, about 600 CDC employees were laid off over the weekend, according to figures from the former CDC staff coalition and AFGE Local 2883, the union representing CDC workers.
The layoffs impacted a broad range of CDC personnel, including those responsible for congressional briefings, health statistics, and chronic disease programs. Support roles were also affected, such as staff at the CDC library, mental health responders who assisted after an August attack on the CDC campus, and human resources employees who were recalled from furlough to carry out the layoffs, including terminating their own colleagues.
While HHS has not publicly confirmed the exact numbers or specific groups impacted, Andrew Nixon, the agency’s communications director, described those dismissed as “non-essential” personnel.
According to court filings, on October 10, a total of 982 employees were deliberately terminated across HHS, which encompasses agencies like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, alongside the CDC.
The national federal workers union is challenging the legality of these dismissals.
“These unlawful terminations during a federal government shutdown represent a harsh blow to dedicated public servants and jeopardize the well-being and safety of our members and the communities they serve,” said Yolanda Jacobs, a CDC health communications specialist and president of AFGE Local 2883, during a union press event on Tuesday.
This latest wave of layoffs adds to a significant exodus from the CDC this year, which includes previous firings, early retirements, and resignations. The union estimates that the agency has lost roughly 3,000 employees-about 25% of its workforce-since January.
Notably, the entire staff of the CDC’s Washington office was eliminated in this round, dismantling a critical support system for members of Congress.
“For decades, the CDC has collaborated directly with Congress to assist constituents by providing data, expertise, and guidance when requested,” explained Dr. John Brooks, former chief medical officer for the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention, who retired last year. “These layoffs sever Congress’s direct line to the agency it funds for information and briefings.”
Beyond the Washington office, CDC policy experts who develop briefings and respond to congressional inquiries have also been cut, according to NPHC.
Dr. Brooks warns that the Trump Administration’s ongoing reductions to CDC staffing and funding are weakening the nation’s public health framework. “Many professionals, myself included, worry that our preparedness for future epidemics or emergencies is compromised due to these persistent cutbacks,” he said.
State and local health departments are already feeling the repercussions. Traditionally, when confronting issues like foodborne illness outbreaks or hospital-acquired infections, these agencies have relied on CDC support.
“Assistance might involve sending experts to investigate or connecting with specialists on particular infections or exposures,” said Dr. Karen Remley, a former CDC official and Virginia’s ex-health commissioner, during the NPHC briefing. “Now, there’s often no one available to answer those calls.”
In a statement, HHS communications director Andrew Nixon characterized the federal health system as an “overgrown bureaucracy” and asserted, “HHS is committed to eliminating redundant and inefficient programs to streamline operations for the benefit of the American public.”
