By Mackenna Moralez, Associate Editor

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a government initiative created by Elon Musk and President Trump, has eliminated thousands of government jobs in the first weeks of Trump’s second term. The department, which aims to “reduce federal spending, waste, fraud and abuse” has also made plans to freeze trillions of dollars in federal grants, AP reports.  

The Department of Veterans Affairs were among the first to have positions made redundant. According to AP, over 1,000 employees who had served for less than two years were eliminated. This included researchers working on cancer treatment, opioid addiction, prosthetics and burn pit exposure.  

More layoffs were looming within the healthcare industry after officials with the CDC were informed that they were losing 700 employees in February, AP reports. Meanwhile, probationary employees in the National Institutes of Health, the FDA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were also fired. An official number has yet to be released. 

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Nearly 10,000 jobs were cut from the Department of Health and Human Services last week, and it is expected that another 10,000 jobs will be eliminated in the coming weeks. According to NBC News, the lates series of layoffs come from newly appointed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan to reshape the federal public health infrastructure. During his presidential run in 2024, Kennedy said that he would “hollow out” the CDC and the NIH. 

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. And Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Called on Kennedy to testify before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on the mass layoffs. In addition, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis. And Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., also sent a letter to Kennedy demanding answers on his reorganization plans of the HHS, NBC news reports.  

The cuts have largely been criticized by public health advocates and Democratic lawmakers, claiming that the layoffs could jeopardize public health. 

Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor of the facilities market and the host of the Facilities in Focus podcast.