Welch, Baldwin to Host Two-Day Forum to Spotlight How Americans are Harmed by Trump’s Mass Firings at HHS

Former agency officials from the FDA, CMS, HRSA, CDC, NIH, and more will testify WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) will lead their Democratic colleagues in holding a two-day forum to examine the human harm caused by the Trump Administration’s shuttering of key departments and mass firings of health experts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The forum will be held Tuesday, May 20th and Wednesday, May 21st, and is entitled “Trump’s Destruction of HHS: Mass Firings, Reorganization, and the Human Harm Caused.” Welch and Baldwin’s forum will feature former officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Administration for Community Living (ACL), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Former HHS agency officials will testify and offer insights on the immediate and long-term impact of mass firings and restructuring on essential programs millions of Americans rely on. On March 27, 2025, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. unveiled a plan to eliminate 20,000 HHS public health experts, scientists, and public servants and eliminate key agencies within HHS entirely. The Trump Administration has refused to provide Congress with information about the decision-making process or the potential impacts on vital programs that serve millions of Americans. LOGISTICS: WHAT:  “Trump’s Destruction of HHS: Mass Firings, Reorganization, and the Human Harm Caused.” DATE and TIME: Tuesday, May 20 Time: 3:00–4:30PM Location: SD-G50 Watch via livestream Wednesday, May 21 Time: 3:00–4:30PM Location: SD-106 Watch via livestream WHO: U.S. Senators Dr. Robert Califf – former Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Dr. Meg Sullivan – former Acting Secretary for Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Ms. Chiquita Brooks La-Sure – former Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Ms. Carole Johnson – former Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Dr. Anne Schuchat – former Principal Deputy Director, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Ms. Trina Dutta – former Chief of Staff, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Dr. Sean Bruna – former Senior Advisor, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Professor Alison Barkoff – former Administrator for Administration for Community Living (ACL) Dr. Jeremy Berg – former Director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at NIH Media interested in attending this event are encouraged to RSVP to Aaron_White@welch.senate.gov by 11:00AM on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. ###