Trump admin moves to fire thousands of Health Dept employees: report

The Trump White House is reportedly moving to fire thousands of Department of Health and Human Services workers in a forthcoming executive order.

The order that is being prepared would reportedly require that the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other health agencies cut a certain percentage of their staff. People familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal that the order could come as soon as next week, after workers have had the opportunity to consider a buyout.

While the terms of the order have not been finalized and plans could change, agency officials have been told to prepare lists of probationary employees who have essential roles and need to be kept and employees who don’t. The outlet noted that probationary employees generally have served for less than one year and can be let go more easily than other employees.

A Thursday deadline had been set by the Trump administration for federal employees to consider whether they would take the administration’s buyout offer, but a judge temporarily blocked that deadline. Before the deadline was extended by the judge, over 40,000 employees said they would take the deal that would see them paid through September if they resign.

The cuts would affect the Department of Health and Human Services, which employs over 80,000 people and includes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the National Institutes of Health as well as the FDA and CDC.

This comes as the Trump White House is also reportedly preparing an executive order aimed at taking on the Department of Education. Trump cannot shut down the department with an executive order, only Congress can shut it down.