Kennedy Acknowledges Mistakes in Trump Administration's Job Cuts in HHS

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Thursday that about 20% of the layoffs conducted by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency were erroneous and will need to be rectified. Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services laid off around 10,000 employees as part of a restructuring plan devised by Kennedy and the DOGE task force led by Elon Musk. However, Kennedy admitted that not all decisions were accurate at the outset.

“Some personnel cuts were misjudged. We’re in the process of reinstating these positions. That was always intended as part of the DOGE strategy. From the beginning, we planned for an 80% reduction, with the understanding that 20% of that might need reversal due to potential missteps,” Kennedy explained while addressing the press during a stop in Virginia. One notable error he highlighted was the dismantling of the CDC’s Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch. The specifics on other potential program restorations remain unclear, as the department hasn’t responded to requests for further comments.

Several CDC officials reported that they had not yet been informed of any plans to resurrect the lead poisoning program. The closure’s immediate impact included a delayed request from Milwaukee’s health department for assistance with lead contamination issues, which was put on hold. Known as an “Epi-Aid,” this CDC investigation into public health concerns “cannot proceed due to the absence of subject matter experts,” stated agency officials privately this week.

In other areas of HHS, a few employees from the Food and Drug Administration who received termination notices have been temporarily asked to return to work, according to multiple FDA officials. Some of the returning staff, which includes members from the agency’s inspections and investigations office, are expected to work just a few more weeks before the cuts take full effect. The inspections office, having lost about 170 employees, is now strategizing to reduce regular inspections of drug and food manufacturers in response to the layoffs.