HHS cuts explained: A look at some of the agencies impacted by layoffs

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - WNDU 16 News Now is diving into those cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where thousands were laid off or offered early retirement options.

When Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the man overseeing the department, announced the cuts last week, he said the move is because the department is inefficient.

This is part of the Trump administration’s federal overhaul we’ve been seeing over the past few months.

Here’s what the cuts actually look like:

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will lose about 3,500 staffers.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will lose close to 2,400.
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the world’s leading medical research agency, is losing 1,200 employees.

The cuts include researchers, scientists and doctors, even though Kennedy says he’s planning to hire more scientists in the future.

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