Trump administration reverses layoffs for some CDC staff
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Saturday reversed some layoffs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after hundreds of scientists received “incorrect notifications” that they were laid off during the government shutdown, according to an official familiar with the matter.
“Employees who received incorrect notices were never separated from the agency and have all been informed that they are not subject to the reduction in force,” the official told NBC News. “This was due to a glitch in the system.”
The canceled layoffs, first reported by The New York Times, come just after the administration decided to furlough thousands of federal workers during the government shutdown, sparking backlash from critics who argue the layoffs are illegal.
The downsizing measures are being challenged in court and mark the latest fallout in the fight against the government shutdown, which is in its second week as lawmakers show no signs of moving toward a deal.
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Between 1,100 and 1,200 Department of Health and Human Services employees received layoff notices on Friday. A court filing Friday indicated that more than 4,000 federal workers were laid off, although it was unclear how that number changed after the administration decided to reverse some CDC layoffs.
HHS and the Treasury Department originally accounted for more than half of the total layoffs, according to the court filing.
Vice President JD Vance addressed the canceled layoffs in an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” saying a “government shutdown inevitably leads to some chaos.”
“We’re thinking about how to take money from some areas and give it to others,” he said, then blaming Democrats.
Vance argued that the layoffs were necessary to preserve critical government functions, adding that if that happened, “you’re going to have some chaos.”
“Frankly, Margaret, you’re going to fire people that the White House doesn’t want to fire,” he continued, addressing moderator Margaret Brennan. “We would like to reopen the government and ensure that these essential services continue, but unfortunately, in an environment where we are faced with limited resources and the government is closed, we have to move some things. And in moving things, there is some chaos, there is some unpredictability.”
In a separate interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Vance said that “the longer this goes on, the deeper the cuts will be.”
“Let’s be clear, some of these cuts are going to be painful,” he added. “It’s not a situation we relish. It’s not something we look forward to, but the Democrats have dealt us a pretty tough deck of cards.”
Democrats continued to pressure Republicans to negotiate Affordable Care Act subsidies that will expire at the end of the year, which would lead to higher premiums. Republicans are urging Democratic senators to shift their support for a clean, short-term funding bill. Funding proposals led by Republicans and Democrats have repeatedly failed in the Senate.
