CDC Is Pulling Back $11B in Covid Funding Sent to Health Departments Across the U.S. + More
Source: Children’s Health Defense
CDC Is Pulling Back $11B in Covid Funding Sent to Health Departments Across the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is pulling back $11.4 billion in funds allocated to state and community health departments, nongovernment organizations and international recipients in response to the pandemic, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed Tuesday.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago,” HHS Director of Communications Andrew Nixon said in a statement. “HHS is prioritizing funding projects that will deliver on President Trump’s mandate to address our chronic disease epidemic and Make America Healthy Again.”
Notices began going out Monday. Awardees have 30 days to reconcile their expenditures, and figures are subject to change.
U.S. To End Vaccine Funds for Poor Countries
The Trump administration intends to terminate the U.S.’ financial support for Gavi, the organization that has helped purchase critical vaccines for children in developing countries, saving millions of lives over the past quarter century, and to significantly scale back support for efforts to combat malaria, one of the biggest killers globally.
The administration has decided to continue some key grants for medications to treat H.I.V. and tuberculosis, and food aid to countries facing civil wars and natural disasters.
Those decisions are included in a 281-page spreadsheet that the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, sent to Congress Monday night, listing the foreign aid projects it plans to continue and to terminate. The New York Times obtained a copy of the spreadsheet and other documents describing the plans.
President Trump Nominates Idahoan Alex Adams for Key HHS Position Under Secretary RFK
President Donald Trump has nominated the director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Alex Adams, for a role in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
If confirmed, Adams would serve as the Assistant Secretary for the Administration of Children and Families at the HHS under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Adams was appointed to lead the department by Gov. Brad Little in May 2024, after over five years as the governor’s budget and regulatory director. Governor Little has expressed his gratitude for President Trump’s recognition of his former staff member and the potential appointment of another Idahoan to a key post.
Acting NIH Director Dismisses Five Neuroscientists From Advisory Boards
Three researchers who served as scientific advisers to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health were removed from their positions this week, The Transmitter has learned. At least two advisers to the National Institute on Drug Abuse were also terminated this week. The researchers each received a letter this week from Matthew Memoli, acting director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), dated March 21.
“Members of this committee serve at the pleasure of the Director of the National Institutes of Health. As such, your appointment has been terminated effective immediately,” the letter states. The letter does not provide a reason for the dismissal, and Memoli did not respond to The Transmitter’s email requests for comment. Nina F. Schor, deputy director for intramural research at the NIH, also did not respond to requests for comment.
Each institute and center at the NIH maintains a board of scientific counselors that reviews the research programs of internal NIH investigators. The board members are not NIH employees but receive a small stipend for their work and are considered special government employees during their five-year term. Board members at other institutes have also been removed but as of yesterday had not yet received any official communication from the NIH, STAT reported.
5 High-Level CDC Officials Are Leaving in the Latest Turmoil for the Public Health Agency
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was rocked by five high-level departures on Tuesday in the latest turmoil for the nation’s top public health agency.
The departures were announced at a meeting of agency senior leaders.
The Atlanta-based CDC has two dozen centers and offices. The heads of five of them are stepping down, and that follows three other departures in recent weeks. This means close to a third of the agency’s top management is leaving or left recently.
The departures — described as retirements — were not announced publicly. The Associated Press confirmed the news with two CDC officials who were not authorized to discuss it and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The announcements come a day after the White House announced it is nominating Susan Monarez to be CDC director. But it’s not clear how much, if any, influence that had on the leaders’ decision to leave. The Trump administration earlier this month withdrew its nomination of former Florida congressman Dr. David Weldon just before a Senate hearing.
Long Covid Office ‘Will Be Closing,’ Trump Administration Announces
The Trump administration is shuttering HHS’ long COVID office as part of its reorganization, according to an internal email seen by POLITICO. The email was sent Monday by Ian Simon, the head of the Office of Long Covid Research and Practice. It said the closing is part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ reorganization.
The office’s handful of staff were not told whether they would remain employed in the federal government or whether the office would close immediately or wind down operations over time.
“We are writing to let you know that the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice will be closing as part of the administration’s reorganization coming this week,” the email reads. “We are proud of what we have accomplished together advancing understanding, resources, and support for people living with Long COVID.”
Dissolving EPA’s Research Arm May Jeopardize Toxic Chemical Protections
The Trump administration’s plan to eliminate the entire research arm of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would have devastating impacts on toxic chemical research, destabilizing infrastructure that forms the scientific backbone of regulations that protect people and the environment, according to former agency leaders.
The move to dissolve the EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD), first reported by The New York Times last week, would stagnate new environmental regulations for years to come, the former EPA officials claim.
The ORD, which employs more than 1,000 scientists, operates six research programs that work to inform policy making on a range of environmental issues, including air and water quality, climate concerns, and chemical safety. ORD research topics include chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, pesticides, greenhouse gases and health-harming soot.
The administration reportedly plans to cut 75% of ORD’s staff and to relocate those left to other parts of the agency.
Supreme Court Hears FCC Case That Could Weaken Power of Federal Agencies
The latest attempt by conservatives to undermine the federal bureaucracy reaches the Supreme Court on Wednesday as the justices consider whether the Federal Communications Commission unlawfully wields power via a program that subsidizes telecommunications services in underserved regions.
The court has a 6-3 conservative majority that has in a series of recent decisions undercut the authority of government agencies and advanced a deregulatory agenda largely favored by business interests and Republicans.
The case concerns whether Congress in a 1996 law exceeded its authority in setting up the Universal Service Fund, which requires telecommunications services to submit payments to subsidize “universal service” in low-income and rural areas. The fees, which are passed on to customers, raise billions of dollars a year that are spent on providing phone and internet services, including for schools, libraries and hospitals.
