FDA reverses course on some layoffs, rehires FOIA staff
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rehired more workers after purges by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) left critical functions of the agency understaffed.
According to a report from KFF, employees tasked with “releasing public records generated by the agency’s regulatory activities” have been recalled, after their firing about a month ago. Specifically, these workers manage records related to medical device and tobacco regulations and issue responses to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
KFF cites two workers as sources for its coverage, along with official documents that showed on May 1, the employees were informed they were no longer being fired as part of the DOGE and Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) mass layoffs.
It is not clear if rehired workers were on paid administrative leave—as many federal employees currently are, as courts work to sort out the firings—but they were told to return to work immediately, KFF confirmed.
The employees were let go as part of a massive downsizing at HHS, where the agency is working to eliminate 20,000 jobs as part of a massive restructuring. The sudden shift was reportedly chaotic for staff at federal healthcare agencies, as many only learned they were fired when security turned them away at the door of their offices.
The FDA’s failure to respond to FOIA requests earned the attention of federal courts, who ordered the agency to respond in accordance with the law. However, slim staffing may have made that impossible, as the rehirings come after the agency missed court-ordered deadlines to produce documents for FOIA requests.
The number of staff returning to work was not revealed.
FDA also rehired workers in February
This is not the first time the FDA has been too hasty with its dismissals. In February, 300 members of medical device approval teams were rehired shortly after being released. That cohort was released as part of mass layoffs associated with federal probationary workers in the first weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term in office.
Trump’s White House recently released its budget proposal for 2026, and while it calls for funding cuts to HHS to the tune of $33 billion, no reductions in funding were recommended for the FDA.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.