RFK Jr. slashes HHS bureaucracy, saves taxpayers $1.8B while refocusing on chronic disease epidemic

By isabelle // 2025-03-29

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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces reforms cutting 10,000 federal jobs and saving $1.8 billion annually.
The restructuring reduces HHS divisions from 28 to 15, prioritizing chronic disease prevention and environmental health.
Critics warn of public health risks, but supporters argue the overhaul will improve efficiency and outcomes.
Key agencies like the FDA and CDC face significant workforce reductions to eliminate redundancy.
The new Administration for a Healthy America (AHA) will centralize health initiatives and combat fraud.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced sweeping reforms that will eliminate 10,000 federal jobs, consolidate redundant divisions, and save taxpayers $1.8 billion annually in a bold move to streamline government inefficiency and refocus on America’s worsening health crisis. The restructuring, which was unveiled this week, will reduce HHS’s 28 divisions to 15 and shift the agency’s priority toward combating chronic diseases by emphasizing clean food, water, and environmental toxin elimination. This marks a notable departure from the bloated administrative structures that have long plagued the department, especially under the Biden administration. While critics in the mainstream media are predictably claiming that the cuts could jeopardize public health, Kennedy and supporters argue that this important overhaul will enhance efficiency, root out waste, and ultimately deliver better health outcomes for Americans.

Streamlining a bloated bureaucracy

Kennedy’s plan targets redundant offices, merging overlapping functions into a newly created Administration for a Healthy America (AHA), which will centralize key health initiatives. Regional offices will be halved from 10 to 5, and core operations—including human resources, IT, and procurement — will be unified to reduce waste. “We aren’t just reducing bureaucratic sprawl. We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic,” Kennedy stated. “This Department will do more — a lot more — at a lower cost to the taxpayer.” Specific cuts include 3,500 jobs at the FDA (19% of workforce), 2,400 at the CDC (18%), 1,200 at the NIH (6%), and 300 at Medicare/Medicaid Services (4%). The reductions follow 10,000 voluntary departures since the start of the Trump administration, which brings HHS’s total workforce down to 62,000 in a 25% reduction.

Shifting the focus to America’s health crisis

Rather than maintaining a sprawling bureaucracy, Kennedy’s reforms prioritize tackling chronic illnesses linked to environmental toxins, processed foods, and contaminated water. The AHA will absorb agencies like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, ensuring a coordinated approach to prevention. Pediatrician Dr. Michelle Perro praised the move, calling it “a more streamlined and effective approach to addressing the tsunami of chronic diseases now affecting most Americans.” Meanwhile, Sayer Ji, co-founder of Stand for Health Freedom, argued HHS had long been “a key architect of policies that have harmed countless individuals” and that restructuring was “long overdue.”

Media backlash vs. taxpayer wins

Despite the clear cost savings and mission refocus, outlets like NBC News warned the cuts risk “jeopardizing public health” — a claim Kennedy’s team dismisses as fearmongering. Karl Jablonowski, a senior research scientist at Children’s Health Defense, countered: “None of [the job numbers] are a metric of success. Secretary Kennedy’s tenure will be judged by the improvement of America’s health.” The reforms also introduce an Assistant Secretary for Enforcement to combat fraud in federal health programs and an Office of Strategy to improve research coordination.

A leaner, more effective HHS

Kennedy’s overhaul marks a decisive break from business-as-usual in Washington. By cutting waste and refocusing on preventable health crises, HHS is poised to deliver tangible results rather than perpetuate bureaucratic bloat. As Kennedy declared: “Our goal is to Make America Healthy Again.” For taxpayers and health advocates alike, that mission is long overdue. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NYPost.com ChildrensHealthDefense.org