New CDC director is urged to address ‘zombie programs’ that were halted by Trump’s DOGE cuts

New CDC director is urged to address ‘zombie programs’ that were halted by Trump’s DOGE cuts The Trump administration sent layoff notices to thousands of employees at the CDC and other federal health agencies in April 2025 - Bookmark Congress allocated $41 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for an Alzheimer’s initiative this year, but the program currently has no personnel to execute its mandate. Similarly, the agency's Office on Smoking and Health was designated $246 million in federal funding, yet its staff was also cut. The same pattern extends across several other critical divisions, including epilepsy research, sickle cell disease data collection, and rape prevention units. These operations have effectively become the CDC’s "zombie programs." On paper and within congressional spending legislation, they remain fully funded and active. In reality, they are functionally non-operational because the specialists responsible for running them were either terminated by President Donald Trump's administration or placed on paid administrative leave, barred from conducting their work. Headquartered in Atlanta, the CDC is charged with protecting the American public against preventable health threats. Dr. Erica Schwartz assumed the role of agency director last week, inheriting both these dormant initiatives and mounting congressional pressure to restore them. During Schwartz's confirmation hearing, Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine questioned her regarding the resumption of operations at the dormant smoking office. "This is an office that is in statute, and it’s an office that receives congressional appropriations," Kaine pointed out. "Will you follow the law if we appropriate money for this mission and the CDC?" "I will always follow the law," Schwartz answered. Trump officials turned some CDC programs into the living dead The decision to freeze these activities originated from political leadership above Schwartz. In April 2025, Trump's Republican administration issued layoff notices to thousands of workers across federal public health bodies. The move was part of a broader effort to restructure the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and merge multiple initiatives into a proposed subagency called the Administration for a Healthy America. Although congressional opposition stalled the overall reorganization, the workforce reductions went forward. Guided by then-adviser Elon Musk alongside the Department of Government Efficiency, the cuts removed scientists, researchers, medical doctors, administrative staff, and senior leadership. This left federal agencies short of the technical authorities who traditionally guided decisions on medical research and drug approvals. The workforce cuts triggered legal challenges and congressional appeals. A portion of the terminations were eventually rolled back, such as those affecting the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, alongside positions supporting lead poisoning control and laboratories testing for sexually transmitted diseases. However, many reductions remain in effect. Pending the resolution of ongoing court challenges, some previously terminated personnel have been shifted to administrative leave, receiving salary without permission to fulfill their official duties. Not every public health activity connected to these initiatives has ceased entirely. Because a large portion of the CDC's budget flows directly to local and state health authorities, grant administration has largely continued. Eric Gascho, executive director of the Coalition for Health Funding, observed that staff members at federal health organizations "deserve a lot of credit for getting money out the door.” Nevertheless, the agency has lost key specialists who analyze health risks, evaluate the efficacy of grant-funded initiatives, and establish nationwide standards for preventive care. "Without the experts, the coordination is not there across the country" when addressing major public health concerns, remarked Erika Sward, chief advocacy officer for UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. "You're often flying blind, and without a parachute, when you don't have the CDC staff in place." A union is keeping track of the zombie programs In January, Congress enacted spending legislation approving funds for over 200 designated projects. The statute obligates HHS to maintain sufficient workforce capacity to carry out statutory duties, though it omits specific staffing quotas per program. Following that legislation, current and former agency workers assembled a list detailing dozens of funded-but-decimated CDC initiatives. These include: - The Office on Smoking and Health, which tracked usage statistics, funded quitlines, and directed the "Tips from Former Smokers" public campaign, which analysts credit with saving billions in healthcare costs. - A $41 million Alzheimer’s initiative aimed at enhancing surveillance and public education, including research into potential links between menopause, hormone treatments, and disease risk. - An $18 million overdose prevention initiative focused on tribal communities. - An $11 million tracking and management framework for epilepsy. - A $6 million data collection project for sickle cell disease. - The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, which gathers comprehensive data regarding health behaviors around childbirth used to analyze maternal mortality rates. - A $2 million drowning prevention initiative. These cuts heavily impacted chronic disease prevention programs, despite U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declaring chronic illness his top priority while criticizing the CDC's past performance. Democrats say what's happening at the CDC is illegal Democratic legislators contend that withholding personnel from these funded initiatives breaches the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, passed after Republican President Richard Nixon declined to release appropriated funds. However, Congress lacks an independent enforcement body for the law, and with Republicans holding majorities in both chambers, appetite to confront the administration remains limited. "President Trump is showing time and again that he will put politics ahead of Americans’ health — and sadly, my Republican colleagues continue to look the other way," stated Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. Baldwin and fellow lawmakers embedded language in recent spending legislation requiring health agencies to sustain necessary operational staffing, though without outlining specific quotas. Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff noted that lawmakers are closely evaluating whether Schwartz will deploy the appropriated resources. "We will learn swiftly whether she intends to follow the law," Ossoff stated. Earlier this month, Kennedy addressed employees during a visit to the CDC. In an audio recording of an internal forum, Kennedy commended staff, asserting: "My sole purpose is to allow you to do your jobs." He did not address the unstaffed, funded initiatives. While Kennedy previously told lawmakers in April that he intended to recruit 12,000 workers to target chronic disease, health officials have not disclosed current hiring numbers for the CDC. Union representatives indicate minimal progress has occurred. Yolanda Jacobs, president of AFGE Local 2883 representing CDC workers, stated: "Not only have we not had any … really significant hiring of CDC employees, but we’ve also had ignoring and stalling when it comes to those employees that had been (laid off), who were supposed to have priority for some of those jobs," Asked about Schwartz’s strategy for the unstaffed programs following her appointment last week, an HHS spokesperson stated via email: "Dr. Schwartz is determined to support and empower employees to ensure they have what they need to succeed." [Image text:] Save the CDC THANK hora CDC kyou, aders Save the CDC STANDS TOGETHER