According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the White House is reportedly in the process of developing an executive order aimed at terminating a significant number of employees within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sources familiar with the matter revealed this information on Thursday.
In response to these claims, the White House has refuted the allegations, stating that there are no ongoing efforts to draft an executive order that would result in workforce reductions across various federal health agencies. The Wall Street Journal further detailed that if implemented, this order could potentially lead to the dismissal of staff members at entities such as the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other health-focused organizations. It is anticipated that this directive could be officially issued as early as next week.
As part of the planning process, officials are reportedly instructed to compile lists categorizing probationary employees based on the necessity of their roles, distinguishing between those who are indispensable and those who are deemed expendable. This revelation follows recent actions by the Trump administration, which recently offered around 2 million civilian federal workers the option to refrain from working this week and still receive compensation and benefits until September 30. This move aligns with President Donald Trump’s strategic objective to downsize the government significantly.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services currently employs a workforce exceeding 83,000 individuals, as per data from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Embedded within this department are agencies responsible for a wide array of critical functions, including monitoring the ongoing bird flu outbreak and various other viral threats.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward, Ismail Shakil, and Nandita Bose; Editing by Caitlin Webber)
