Federal lawsuits filed by 19 states accusatively target the Trump administration, asserting irresponsible mass terminations within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The Health and Human Services Department (HHS) has been embroiled in a legal battle following the unlawful layoff of 10,000 employees, as stated by Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown. The cuts, which took effect in April and were further expanded last week, impacted employees working on a wide range of critical areas, including infectious diseases, cancer research, the opioid epidemic, and more.
The recent reductions in force (RIFs) at HHS, according to CBS News, have led to a 25% overall reduction in the department's workforce. The states have been impacted in various ways, including the closure of laboratories, loss of access to grants, cessation of equipment certification programs, cancellation of partnerships focused on workplace safety, and the termination of surveillance programs on which the states rely.
The lawsuit against the Trump administration was brought by 19 states, who argue that the layoffs are an unlawful attempt to undercut the will of Congress. They claim that HHS is breaking federal law by contravening Congress' directives on spending money and statutory programs. The states have asked the judge to invalidate HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s directive ordering the layoffs and reinstate all impacted employees.
The states argue that HHS has no constitutional or statutory authority to carry out the staffing cuts. They further assert that the department has no authority to conduct a reorganization or use layoffs to diminish agency capacity below statutory requirements. HHS went from 28 offices down to 15 and from 10 regional offices to five as a result of the RIFs.
Attorney General Brown calls the layoffs illegal and a "moral failing." He states that more Americans will suffer without commonsense programs affected by the layoffs. The states' concerns are echoed by many, as key programs have been prevented from functioning due to the staffing cuts.
At the heart of the issue is the question of whether the Trump administration has the power to make such drastic changes to the HHS workforce, and whether these changes are in violation of federal law. As the legal battle unfolds, the impact on America's health and human rights services remains a significant concern.
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