ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿Statement on Major Federal Workforce Cuts
The elimination of federal science and health employees is a direct attack on scientific integrity, expertise and public trust. ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿stands in support of the career public servants, including the scientists, public health workers and medical staff who have dedicated their lives’ work to ensuring health, safety and security in the United States.“These professionals have dedicated their careers to advancing knowledge, protecting public health and guiding policy with evidence-based research,” said ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿CEO Stefano Bertuzzi. “For decades, the U.S. has invested in science to serve the public interest. These actions threaten to roll back the progress we have made.”
Federal science and research agencies have been targeted for deep cuts, disrupting research on treatments and cures for life-threatening infectious and chronic diseases and conditions. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to cut 10,000 jobs across the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This is in addition to the 10,000 HHS employees who have already left as part of voluntary separations since the inauguration. Reduced staffing also means that regulatory agencies have less capacity to assess new products, including new drugs, vaccines, diagnostics and antimicrobials, undermining safety and potentially denying access to new medicines and treatments for Americans.
The majority of federal public health funding goes to grants to state and local governments. State public health departments are heavily dependent on federal funding to do their work.
“Federal employee reductions in force will lead to delays in that funding,” said Theresa Koehler, ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿President. “That will slash the ability of states and localities to respond to public health threats.” The administration also plans to cut regional HHS offices in half from 10 to 5, further impacting states with rural communities that already face limited access to health care resources.
In many cases, contracted or obligated funding for biomedical research and vital public health programs has not been disbursed despite court orders to the contrary. This backlog is unconscionable and should be reversed immediately.
