Committee Democrats Demand Answers After DOGE Fires Thousands of HHS Workers and Erodes Critical Programs
Members call for accountability as the Trump Administration’s disastrous actions threaten the health and safety of seniors, children, and people with disabilities.
WASHINGTON – Today, House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) demanded answers from Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after the Department fired thousands of full-time employees and threatened the future of critical programs that Americans rely upon. Committee Democrats also joined Ranking Member Scott’s request of Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (MI-05), to hold an oversight hearing of the Administration’s action to gain insight into the effects of these disastrous decisions.
On Friday, March 27, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a dramatic restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services, resulting in a reduction of HHS staffing by nearly a quarter and shuttering key agencies within the Department. Additionally, recent reports indicate that many of these firings may have done in error, further adding to the chaos and uncertainty surrounding critical health services for Americans.
“The decimation of the agency’s workforce and the proposed elimination or consolidation of divisions will cause direct harm to the nation’s children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and workers,” wrote the Members.
“Based on what has been publicly revealed to date, what you are undertaking will destabilize—and, in some cases, even decimate—programs and services on which some of the most vulnerable people in America rely,”wrote Ranking Member Scott. “I strongly urge you to go back to the drawing board, engage with Congress on organizational plans, and commit to transparency about those plans.”
In accordance with the Committee’s oversight responsibilities, the Democratic Members demanded that Chairman Walberg hold a hearing to examine HHS’s proposed restructuring and determine its impact on the health and wellbeing of the American people. Ranking Member Scott also called for Secretary Kennedy to provide detailed information and analysis on staff terminations and their impact on the efficiency of HHS services.
To read the full letter to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., click here.
To read the full letter to Chairman Walberg, click here.
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