Mass Federal Employee Layoffs Threaten Public Health

Every day, federal workers tackle complex issues with life-or-death stakes. From getting donor organs to critically ill patients to regulating tobacco products that target children, and even preventing maternal and infant deaths, these employees are dedicated to safeguarding public health.

However, in recent months, these workers have faced an unprecedented challenge when they were fired as part of a wide-scale federal workforce reduction under the current administration. The future of their vital missions is now in question, posing significant risks to the health and safety of the American public.

Scale of the Layoffs

The precise number of those fired has not been released by the White House. However, reports suggest a significant churn, including around 750 workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which plays a pivotal role in responding to pandemics. Over 1,000 staff at the National Institutes of Health, responsible for life-saving research, have also been let go, alongside dozens at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which manages public health care and insurance programs. Scores of employees at the Food and Drug Administration, which oversees food, drug, and medical device safety, have been terminated.

Consequences for Public Health

“The implications for the health of the public are grave,” said Susan Polan, an associate executive director at the American Public Health Association, which is suing the Department of Government Efficiency for violating federal transparency laws. “It is unfathomable that anybody thinks these cuts have value and are doing anything other than being performative.”

Public health professionals and advocates are increasingly concerned about the long-term impacts these layoffs may have. Seasoned experts in public health stand to lose valuable knowledge and experience as new hires may not be as familiar with the intricacies of these programs.

Protecting Kids From Tobacco

For over a decade, Dustin Brace worked in various federal roles, including as an emergency 911 dispatcher for the Navy and, as a member of the Coast Guard, responding to major chemical and oil spills. “I loved working to protect the American people,” he said. “I never thought that I would leave the government.”

Brace’s role involved scrutinizing new product applications to ensure they would not appeal to children and that the devices were safe for consumer use. This process required meticulous scrutiny over thousands of pages of documentation, searching for hidden hazards.

“The work takes time to be done properly,” Brace emphasized, highlighting the critical nature of his and his team’s work. The FDA’s Office of the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) was established after decades of industry pushback, providing the broad legal authority to regulate the tobacco industry in 2009.

The FDA historically struggles to recruit enough scientists and experts who could receive higher salaries in the private sector. Mitch Zeller, who directed CTP from 2013 to 2022, noted that individuals join federal agencies because they believe in the mission, not just the salary.

Interestingly, CTP’s regulatory activities are funded through tobacco industry fees, not taxpayer dollars. However, in recent weeks, Brace received a termination notice along with other newer employees on his team.

Brace estimated that more than 10% of staff at the center’s science office were terminated in the past week. “Things are going to slow down,” he said. “More mistakes may be made because the workload is so much higher.”

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