It’s hard to know whether to laugh or cry while you’re watching the Keystone Kops dismantle the federal government.
A recent article charting the decimation of HHS under RFK, Jr.–aka Mr. Brain Worm– contained the following tidbits: employees who were laid off and who wanted to pursue discrimination complaints were told to contact Anita Pinder, former director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights. Pinder died last year. Then there was the report that a number of FDA staff members only discovered they were part of the sweeping reduction in force when they arrived for work one morning and their badges would no longer let them into the building.
Kennedy’s haphazard and unprecedented downsizing of the federal health workforce–the dismissal of twenty thousand workers–was evidently conducted with similar inattention to careful analysis, let alone standard procedures or pesky details. The dismissals removed what the article called “a broad swath of expertise: biomedical scientists, staff who respond to freedom of information requests and researchers who work to improve patient safety.”
Those dismissed from HHS included numerous senior leaders–individuals who represented often irreplaceable institutional memory.
At the National Institutes of Health, a nearly $48 billion biomedical research agency, at least five top leaders were put on leave. Among those offered reassignment were the infectious-disease institute director Jeanne Marrazzo, according to emails obtained by The Post and multiple people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Marrazzo had succeeded Anthony S. Fauci as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which helped lead the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and later became a target of Republicans. An internal email showed that two other leaders there, H. Clifford Lane and Emily Erbelding, also lost their jobs, and the agency had no advance notice of who had been targeted for layoffs through the reduction in force, or RIF
The story was the same throughout the reckless purge of HHS. At the CDC, for example, senior leaders overseeing global health, infectious diseases, chronic disease, HIV, sexually transmitted disease, tuberculosis, outbreak forecasting and information technology were all among those notified that they would be reassigned to the Indian Health Service (a reassignment most refused). The article quoted one official for the probable effect: “The agency will not be able to function. Let’s be honest.”
The purge included some 3500 scientists working on bird flu and vaccine safety, as well as the safety of the U.S. food supply and tobacco products.
“The FDA as we’ve known it is finished, with most of the leaders with institutional knowledge and a deep understanding of product development and safety no longer employed,” Robert Califf, who served as FDA commissioner under Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, wrote on LinkedIn on Tuesday morning.
Forbes was among the publications warning that the cuts could have profound effects on the health and well-being of Americans. A capacity to respond to emerging new diseases that has arguably already been inadequate will be even more vastly curtailed; food and drug safety are being imperiled; and research on diseases like cancer, Alzheimers and Parkinsons (among many others) will be dramatically set back. Other cuts significantly reduced the number of caseworkers who assist Affordable Care Act consumers and Medicare beneficiaries.
The list goes on.
And what about the “savings” being touted? Will the vast majority of Americans whose health and safety are being compromised by these ill-considered dismissals at least see a financial benefit? Hardly. The Trump administration is “saving” this money in order to fund further tax reductions for the wealthy–trading the health and well-being of the many for fatter pockets for the few.
America has long been the only Western democratic country without a program of national health care. Now we face the prospect of greatly diminished public health and safety protections, in order to exempt our plutocrats from paying their fair share of taxes.
Makes me want to ask those folks with the red hats: are we great yet?
SCOTUS has set for oral argument a case in which trump ignored the “naturally born” citizenship provision of Amendment XIV. That the case was not immediately trashed is absurd. I’ll rephrase the question before SCOTUS and attach a link to the blog I posted last evening. If anyone is offended by my language, tfb.
http://civildiscoursenow.com/profiles/blogs/6316350:BlogPost:124701
Damon Linker’s “Notes From the Middleground” this morning provides a good 10,000 ft view of this anti-conservative/pro-destruction administration. That’s the common thread – so I like Sheila Kennedy’s closing question! However, my belief is that the Red Hats will never, ever stop cheering as the car drives off the cliff. Only Kool-Aid for them – all the way down
I’m not sure whether I’d credit RFK, Jr. with all the firings. Between the OMB (Russell Vought) and DOGE (Musk), they pull all the strings. This was all thought out long before RFK was even chosen. We’ll see if some are replaced with Trump loyalists or loyal Project 2025 applicants. They’ve been accepting resumes for several years now.
What’s interesting is that Musk and DOGE have received all the publicity. There hasn’t been any press on Russell since his confirmation hearings in January. He wrote Project 2025 with funding and support from the Heritage Foundation (Koch-funded), yet he is completely given a pass by the press (entertainment media).
A small company connected to Thiel, Musk, and Trump (via Kushner) is seeking a federal contract for its massive payment systems clearinghouse, for which fees total up to $500 million. It uses AI with its corporate credit cards to analyze spending:
https://muncievoice.com/36307/trump-eyes-politically-connected-startup/
All these firings may be followed up with announcements about outsourcing to AI technology or Silicon Valley Tech companies. Thiel also owns a tech startup that proposes to replace 911 Emergency systems across the country.
Then there is the tech unit inside the DoD, which all resigned en masse yesterday, which tried to bring high tech into the DoD during the Afghanistan withdrawal. According to the Politico article:
“They’re not really using AI, they’re not really driving efficiency. What they’re doing is smashing everything,” the former official said.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/15/pentagons-digital-resignations-00290930
It’s a form of Disaster Capitalism where you break things and then take credit for fixing them. They already have a solution and must create a problem for “them to fix.” It’s also an authoritarian move right out of the playbook.
Before the last election I was optimistic that the tide was turning against Trump. After the election, my optimism took a big hit. But it was not entirely lost. After reading Heather Cox Richardson this morning, I’m feeling better. I just have to keep reminding myself that it takes time to change the direction of something so massive as our Ship of State. In fact, we may soon have a golden opportunity to make some long needed repairs to the ship like abolishing the electoral college and reforming campaign finance laws. As we attack fascism, let us present a positive image of what the future can be. Give the people something to work for, not just against.
So much winning!!!
Be careful what you wish for. If you’re thinking that we just need a new Constitutional Convention to cure what ails us, let’s ask a question or two, such as, how do we determine who should represent the people? Will we be able to include any Constitutional scholars?
Realizing that very few people have ever read, much less understood Amendment IX, how do we make it clear that we don’t have a magic way to list every right that exists today. We need a better way to be flexible than the current model.
research/scientists they leave for private sector,cut funding and the price of drugs go up due to cost of private alone research.(sorta a forced deregulation) will we be again saddled with patent games,over single gene research. supreme court decided they cant. but will they find a new road to control the research for a single gene research again. no matter how its done,there will be another increase in the cost of survival in America.
Yes, people will die. Sheila and I have already discussed one who died in February of this year because she was shut out of cancer studies by the HIH funding freeze. When she was told that two studies could not enroll new candidates because they didn’t know if, or when, they might have funding, she just gave up and died. Her family, and I, are still in the grief stage of anger at the senselessness of TVM and their attack on all governmental institutions!!
Wisdom courtesy of the New York Times:
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.” a store owner in Peculiar, MO., where residents battled developers and some of their own local officials to keep a giant data center out of their community.
Nothing may be salvageable by the time the Ruling Trio and the Ikea Cabinet realize their amateur actions have led to national failure.
If we wait to do anything that restrains them for a year and a half until next election day, it may also be too late.
On the other hand, pushing common sense on those without any could corner Trump and cause him to declare a national emergency (which may be what he’s planning for to declare martial law).
The noose is closing on us.
I have spent my whole (almost) life learning constructive knowledge because I never dreamed I would need more revolutionary skills. I and we have been too complacent because we thought ourselves entitled to the almost perfect comfort and safety our whole lives so far have enjoyed.
Living without hope is hard, but I’m afraid it may well be in the remaining cards in our collective hands.
it took no time at all, in fact only one day, to turn the direction of our “massive Ship of State” directly into the most massive iceberg that MAGA has become. There is no way any such positive “repairs” such as “abolishing the electoral college and reforming campaign finance laws” will even be undertaken let alone be successful under the current administration. Both are the primary strengths of the foundation of election campaigns which put them in control with no rules to guide them other than the total power over this nation and every citizen of all ages, no one is safe from their unfettered reign of terrorism.
Unless and until their own sitting party members, who remain mute and idle, declare action against their own party will the MAGA administration be at least slowed. They toss around the accusations of the evil of those of us being “woke” and supportive of “DEI” as we did as children in the 1940s accusing our friends of having “cooties”; the terms have lost all positive meaning by the MAGA’s use of abusive accusations.
“Makes me want to ask those folks with the red hats: are we great yet?” Me too!
I watched an interview with certain military veteran, who predicted a civil war if there is martial law declared. He claims he’s aware of about half of the military fighting on one side or the other. But the plan was to go after the politicians who have concocted this clear and present danger. This should have been avoided before the election. It could have easily been avoided. Now, we have an administration willing to ship American citizens to El Salvadorian dungeons. A place where they share a long history with the United States, and not in a good way.
Do you know what the currency is in El Salvador? The American dollar! So there’s obviously a certain amount of coercion by the holders of the currency used in El Salvador, which can make it much easier to get what you want in a sidekick. Grease the government’s leadership with a little extra American dinero, and you can get what you want. Indelibly joined at the hip. El Salvador will do exactly what this administration wants, because this administration has complete and utter control over that countries purse strings. Look up and look out.
Of course this had to happen. The handwriting was on the wall. And there were warnings concerning what is going to happen, especially if this group in there now was not beaten to the punch. Unfortunately, as in what we have just seen, the urgency was met with thumb twiddling and lots of word salad. It doesn’t work that way. And, I venture to say, The abdication of responsibility, for the general welfare of the people, has failed the people as their natural protector in this reality.
From what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard, there are people ready for a physical conflict, a civil war, which will decimate everything. And when that happens, we will have those from the outside, looking for their pound of flesh! Whatever way you look at it, $14 a dozen eggs are going to be the good old days. Some of us did our part, some of us hit the nail on the head, except it fell on deaf ears. Some of us warned the politicians of what was going to happen, and guess what,? It’s happening exactly as was warned. Uncontrolled disease outbreaks, no natural direction no natural protection, general welfare in the trash, and, you better make sure you identify with the right side.
The lack of discernment, by those who should know better, is astounding! But to have a functioning conscience, and being able to connect the dots of history to what’s happening today, takes knowledge, it takes converting that into wisdom which can strengthen a conscience, needed to have strong and accurate discernment. I absolutely have not seen any of that accurate discernment being displayed or used before it’s too late. And it is quite pathetic. One scenario, is that a lot of these so-called free governments are going to abdicate their authority to the United Nations. And that’s where things are going to get even more interesting!
You think trying to live under a military run government? One under Marshall law? Why do you think all of these key military persons are being relieved of command? Something’s afoot, and, it looks like they’re ready to get rid of habeas corpus. In other words, military tributals for everyone! And then, hello El Salvador.
Soon, and I mean in the grand scheme of things, the United Nations it’s going to have more sway in how you live your life, then the present government. Because, when the poop hits the manure spreader, those cockroaches who are sycophantic lackies to the troglodyte carpetbaggers, are going to be running and trying to hide, because they’re going to get the brunt of the ire coming down the pike. And whatever’s left, after the vultures have picked to the bones clean, it’s not going to be pleasant.
JoAnn. I completely agree that nothing good will happen under the current administration. In regard to my comments, I was looking farther down the road AND in light of HCR’s post today.
Mark Small – you sound proud to offend with language. That’s a form of bullying…sad.
Todd,
Don’t know if you coined the phrase “disaster capitalism” , but it’s a great one and so apropos for now!
Having read HCR’s post of the day, I am still not sanguine about the impacts (there will be many) of the Trump onslaught. His term in office has only just begun, he has Vance to, perhaps, urge him on to further destruction, and, whether, or not, JFK Jr. has himself ordered the firings, he is still in a position to
further reinforce the imbecilic counter-sensible non-medical ideas he so fervently espouses.
And then, there are all the rest of the clowns in Trump’s show. Does anyone here really think that if he tires of any of these that he will suddenly appoint people with real knowledge and even a smidgen of integrity? Right!
To borrow a line from Vernon, “I’m glad I’m old.” But that does not keep me from almost foaming at the mouth!
Sharon; I understand, but looking further down my road I am not going to incur a debt to pay for with May’s Social Security check which I may never see. I can only see today’s situation peering from between the weeds down here at grassroots level, which I see no escape from in the near future. I don’t count chickens so I buy eggs; have talked to people who refuse to pay todays prices and do without, what point are they making in the larger scope of this chaos? I enjoy my occasional poached egg on toast and my baking treats for the few pleasures available to me today. And, I don’t read HCR.
Lester,
Naomi Klein coined or used that phrase in one of her books. Quite frankly, her recent article is a masterpiece since she identifies the Tech neoliberals who also believe in the “end of times” or the “apocalypse.” She said they plan to “accelerate our demise,” assuming their actions are done consciously. I’m not sure they are consciously aware enough to make decisions that bring about the end of times, but we shall see. What is evident is that these apocalyptic freaks are trying to grab all they can before Jesus arrives on Earth.
If I were already a billionaire and thought our society was ready to collapse, I sure as Hell wouldn’t be in the office trying to make more money. I’d be in full-on leisure mode!!
My dad worked for the US Department of Agriculture eons ago. As a family of Democrats, we also went through scary and uncertain times. Being a man of few words, Dad summed it up in one short sentence which may be an oversimplification, yet it is spot-on:
“We’ve been too damn nice for too damn long!” Right, Dad, and we’re finally waking up…finally!
It took decades to turn the NIH into the premier center for biomedical research in the world (over a century if we go back to the “Hygienic Laboratory”).
It is taking a mere few months to destroy it. Having an addle brained head of HHS with equally ignorant DOGE dummies running things will help in Trump’s goals of turning us into a banana republic (he thinks “empire”, but we all know he has delusions).
CGH – on the store owner from Peculiar, MO – He keeps voting for bumper sticker solutions rather than supporting politicians who think. “I know my Representative is an idiot and a crook, but I don’t want to take a chance on replacing him/her.”
I was told to equivalent when I ran for City Council years ago – a sad state of civic engagement.