More federal health employees axed amid shutdown-linked terminations

On Friday afternoon, an undisclosed number of federal health workers were notified of their terminations as part of a significant reduction in the workforce initiated by the current administration. Senior officials and legal experts are raising concerns that these layoffs could be unlawful. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has already experienced substantial workforce reductions since the administration took office. Earlier this year, approximately 10,000 employees were encouraged to leave through early retirements and deferred resignations, while an additional 10,000 were laid off, resulting in a decrease in the HHS staff from 82,000 to 62,000. As the government shutdown continues—sparked by a dispute over Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that enjoy broad support among the public—over 32,000 HHS employees are currently furloughed. In a statement to Ars Technica, HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon confirmed that employees across various divisions have been issued termination notices. However, the department did not specify how many employees are affected or which agencies they belong to. Nixon emphasized that all employees receiving reduction notices were deemed non-essential by their respective divisions, attributing the layoffs to the ongoing government shutdown led by Democratic lawmakers. The contention centers around the funding dispute that has emerged, with Democrats advocating for an extension of the widely supported ACA tax credits set to lapse at year's end. Furthermore, Nixon criticized the Biden administration for allegedly increasing HHS's budget and workforce significantly, labeling it a shift towards bureaucratic expansion.