RFK Jr. announces HHS restructuring: 10,000 job cuts, $3.6B CDC reduction, and consolidation of 28 agencies to 15

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on March 27, 2025, a sweeping reorganization of the department: eliminating approximately 10,000 positions across HHS's 28 sub-agencies, cutting the CDC budget by roughly $3.6 billion, capping NIH indirect cost reimbursements at 15% — a reduction that universities said would cost UAB alone $413 million in grant revenue — and consolidating the department's operational divisions from 28 to 15. The restructuring proceeded without the 60-day congressional notification that appropriations law required, triggering immediate legal challenges from universities, health researchers, and Democratic-led states.