HHS fires more employees during government shutdown

The Department of Health and Human Services fired hundreds of employees last weekend, including those working on mental health services, disease outbreaks and disaster preparedness, to pressure Democratic senators to end the government shutdown. More than half of the fired U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees were told the next day it was a mistake and they were still employed. Besides the CDC, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration saw cuts, including the branch overseeing millions of dollars in grants for community health clinics. National Institute of Nursing Research Director Shannon Zenk, PhD, RN, who was placed on administrative leave earlier this year, was fired. However, a federal judge in California froze the layoffs, saying the move was illegal and exceeded the administration’s authority. (Associated Press article, 10/13/25)