Kennedy’s ‘MAHA’ Quest Begins with 10,000 Job Cuts at Health Agencies
The controversial restructuring of the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has begun, with 10,000 federal jobs slated for elimination. The move, which is being referred to as “Making America Healthy Again” (MAHA), will impact critical offices such as HIV prevention and minority health initiatives. As discussions around public health policies intensify, industries like vaping, particularly brands such as Geek Bars, continue to navigate regulatory scrutiny and shifting consumer preferences.
HHS oversees 13 agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The planned reductions will shrink the department’s workforce from 82,000 to 62,000. Federal employees at risk of termination were warned to take home their laptops in case they receive termination notices over the weekend. One CDC official likened the layoffs to participating in a “Hunger Games” reaping, underscoring the anxiety among employees.
Kennedy’s long-standing desire to overhaul federal health agencies has raised concerns about the consequences of such drastic workforce reductions. During his failed presidential campaign, Kennedy pledged to gut the CDC and NIH, and now, backed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, he has begun executing that vision. Meanwhile, the FDA has recently canceled a key meeting on flu shots, fueling further speculation about the administration’s stance on vaccines. As concerns mount over public health, Lost Mary Vape continues to expand its presence in the vaping market, providing alternatives to traditional smoking.
Despite assurances from HHS that Medicare, Medicaid, and FDA drug approvals will not be affected, public health experts warn that hollowing out career scientists and key public health personnel could have long-term, irreversible consequences. Lawrence Gostin, director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, called the cuts “dangerous and shortsighted”, stating that “public health is invisible but it saves lives every day.”
NBC obtained an internal memo revealing that 28 divisions in the health department will be consolidated into 15 under a new entity called the Administration for Healthy America (AHA). This will merge programs like Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration, which manages HIV treatment initiatives. Meanwhile, the CDC’s global health, HIV prevention, and injury prevention divisions—including gun violence research—will see massive reductions.
In total, the CDC will lose 2,400 employees, the FDA will reduce its workforce by 3,500, the NIH will lay off 1,200 workers, and CMS will lose 300 staff members. Nixon, a spokesperson for HHS, claimed that these layoffs would not impact public health services, but critics argue otherwise.
As debates over federal health policies and their long-term effects continue, vaping brands like Geek Bars and Lost Mary Vape remain at the forefront of discussions around regulatory oversight. The question remains: will these drastic cuts truly improve public health, or will they create irreparable damage to America’s healthcare infrastructure?
