It is unclear what will happen to hundreds of pending requests for public information as the health agencies slash staff.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the agency’s 28 divisions will be cut to 15.

FOIA applies to the HHS, like any other department, and distinct agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH) all have FOIA offices.

Kennedy Jr. is finally getting his wish of sucker punching the federal health agencies. This week, Kennedy began the process of firing some 10,000 employees working under the Health and Human Services umbrella.

Another round of “deferred resignation” offers is part of the Trump administration’s stepped-up effort to rapidly downsize the government.

The Trump administration began mass layoffs of 10,000 staffers at U.S. health agencies on Tuesday, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation, with security guards barring entry to some employees just hours after they received dismissal notices.

Kennedy Jr. looks on, ahead of President Donald Trump delivering remarks on tariffs, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo (Reuters) - Cantor Fitzgerald analysts renewed their criticism of U.

Thousands of employees fired this week from the Department of Health and Human Services and the public health agencies it oversees may be asked to temporarily continue working for two months, the department said on Thursday.

Kennedy’s silence is prompting questions from lawmakers, with a bipartisan request for the health secretary to appear before a Senate committee next week to explain the cuts.