Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters
The FDA's Crisis is Everyone's Crisis
ORCID (Links to author’s additional scholarship at ORCID.org)
Patricia J. Zettler:
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9114-0735
Nathan G. Cortez:
Abstract
On April 1, 2025, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) fired about 3500 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) employees, nearly 20\% of agency staff. HHS also forced out career senior leaders at the FDA, including the director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the director of the Center for Tobacco Products, and the chief medical officer, and has suggested a dramatic reorganization of the FDA into “five shared services offices,” potentially replacing the FDA’s centers. This followed the February 2025 firing of roughly 700 FDA employees, including staff responsible for overseeing food and device safety (before some were called back). And these changes at the FDA come amid a long list of controversial government-wide staffing directives from the Trump administration, including instructions to implement return-to-office policies, consult the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) about career appointments, and hire no more than 1 employee for every 4 that depart.
Publication Title
JAMA
Document Type
Article
Keywords
FDA, Food and Drug Administration, Staff firings, Reorganization, US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Food and device safety
Recommended Citation
Cortez, Nathan and Zettler, Patricia J., "The FDA's Crisis is Everyone's Crisis" (2025). Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters. 1140.
https://scholar.smu.edu/law_faculty/1140
