Protestors demonstrate in support of federal workers outside of HHS headquarters on Feb. 14. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Scores of termination letters went out to federal health agency workers over the long weekend as the Trump administration continues to slash the civil service workforce.
Why it matters: The full extent of the cuts won't be known until after the Tuesday night deadline for a mass firing largely carried out by email that's likely to dramatically reshape the government's health workforce. Most of the cuts are focused on probationary employees who've been on the job one or two years.
State of play: FDA staff cuts that began hitting the agency Saturday evening reportedly affected the center that regulates medical devices and digital health.
Employees across CMS, the Administration for Children and Families, the Indian Health Service and other agencies were also fired.
The cuts also hit CDC's vaunted Epidemic Intelligence Service — a training ground for epidemiologists who are on the front lines of public health responses.
Several federal employee unions sued the administration last week, arguing that the mass firings are illegal. Democracy Forward, a legal services nonprofit, also filed a lawsuit against the administration on behalf of fired employees.
