Trump Administration Fires Health Employees Amid Ongoing Government Shutdown

Breaking News: Trump Admin Fires More Health Employees Amid Government Shutdown The Trump administration has fired an unknown number of federal health employees on Friday afternoon as part of a mass reduction in force, according to sources and senior officials. The terminations come amidst the ongoing government shutdown, which has left over 32,000 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) employees furloughed. Timeline: Early this year, the Trump administration pushed out 10,000 HHS employees through early retirements and layoffs. In total, the HHS workforce was slashed from 82,000 to 62,000. The current government shutdown, now in its second week, has furloughed over 32,000 HHS employees. Immediate Impact: The terminations have sparked concerns among federal employment lawyers and senior officials, who say that the move is almost certainly illegal. "This is a clear example of the Trump administration's disregard for the law," said one senior official. The HHS Communications Director, Andrew Nixon, confirmed in an email to Ars Technica that employees across multiple divisions had received termination notices. Background Context: The Department of Health and Human Services has been under heavy scrutiny since the Trump administration took office. Critics argue that the mass layoffs and terminations are part of a broader effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and undermine public health initiatives. What Happens Next: As the government shutdown continues, it remains unclear how many more employees will be terminated or furloughed. The Trump administration has yet to provide details on the number of employees affected by the terminations. Federal employment lawyers are expected to challenge the move in court, arguing that it is a clear violation of federal law and regulations. In response to questions about the terminations, HHS officials have not provided any further information beyond Nixon's statement. The situation remains fluid, with many questions still unanswered. *This story is developing. Information compiled from Arstechnica reporting.*