Health and Human Services to cut 20,000 employees in restructuring plan

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says will allow them to do more while saving taxpayers’ money.

Tariffs are not the only topic on the Hill this week. The Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) will soon lay off thousands of workers under DOGE-led restructuring efforts. A move, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a press release, would allow the department to do more while saving taxpayers’ money.

Health and Human Services covers agencies like the FDA and CDC. Kennedy says he is releasing 20,000 workers from the Agency, 3,500 of whom will be from the FDA. Kennedy says the FDA will streamline operations while centralizing administrative functions.

The restructuring will cut the Department’s 28 divisions to 15 and could save just under $2 billion a year.

Related Stories
Here is a regional snapshot of harvest pace, crop conditions, logistics, and livestock economics across U.S. agriculture for the week of Monday, November 17, 2025.
UMN Extension’s Emily Krekelberg outlines today’s top farm stressors, key signs of mental health distress in rural communities, and the resources available for support.
National Pork Board Chief Sustainability Officer Jamie Burr shares a closer look at the Pork Checkoff’s Pork Cares Farm Impact Report, a research program to increase trust in the pork supply chain.
Ethanol markets remain mixed — weaker production and blend rates are being partially balanced by stronger exports as winter demand patterns take shape.
Strong U.S. yields and steady demand leave most major crops well supplied, keeping price pressure in place unless usage strengthens or weather shifts outlooks.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Mary-Thomas Hart, with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, discusses the latest WOTUS developments and their implications for agriculture.
Wed, 12/17/25 – 7:30 PM ET | 6:30 PM CT | 5:30 PM MT | 4:30 PM PT
A massive rail merger could significantly impact North American agriculture and trade flows.
Urea and phosphate see the biggest price relief from tariff exemptions, but nitrogen markets remain tight, and spring demand will still dictate pricing momentum.
Earlier this year, the BLM moved to rescind the Public Lands Rule from the Biden Administration. Interior Secretary Doug Bergum says overturning the rule will protect the American way of life and give rural communities a stronger voice.
Lower turkey and wheat prices helped ease Thanksgiving costs, but underlying farm-sector pressures remain significant.