Durbin, Blumenthal, Senators Pen Letter To HHS Secretary Kennedy, FDA Commissioner Makary Urging Them To Halt Efforts To Weaken Food Oversight
FDA “is one of the best positioned federal offices to help ‘Make America Healthy Again,’ but the Trump Administration has undermined the program,” the Senators wrote in their letter
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and three of their Senate Democratic colleagues today sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Martin Makary raising concerns about recent changes to the FDA that will weaken the Human Foods Program, which spearheads all food safety and nutrition efforts at FDA. The Senators’ letter comes as Secretary Kennedy has slashed staffing at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), terminating 10,000 employees, including 19 percent of the FDA workforce.
“The Human Foods Program oversees 78 percent of food in the United States. It enforces federal laws, coordinates with other federal agencies and state and local governments, and distributes public health information. Further, it combats diet-related chronic diseases, such as heart disease and certain cancers, that shorten lives and contribute to rising health care costs,” the Senators wrote in their letter.
“The Human Foods Program is one of the best positioned federal offices to help ‘Make America Healthy Again,’ but the Trump Administration has undermined the program through workforce terminations, funding cuts, and haphazard ‘reorganizations,’ all of which will put the health and well-being of Americans at risk,” the Senators continued their letter.
Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary have signed off on massive cuts to FDA, damaging critical operations at the Human Foods Program. In addition to laying off 3,500 FDA employees, including hundreds of workers in the Human Foods Program and Office of Inspections and Investigations, FDA has slashed funding for state inspection offices that review processed food facilities, produce facilities, and restaurants.
“The Government Accountability Office found that food inspections need to be strengthened to prevent outbreaks. However, HHS’ changes will force food inspectors to spend valuable time booking their own travel and seeking approvals, rather than inspecting food facilities. This is careless and will lead to even fewer inspections—and less safe food,” the Senators wrote.
Further, Secretary Kennedy has senselessly chosen to consolidate HHS’ 28 divisions into 15 while reducing HHS regional offices from 10 to five, resulting in the closure of HHS’ Chicago office that worked with state and local governments to address outbreaks and other public health concerns.
“Eliminating these regional offices will reduce state and local governments’ access to HHS resources, and the decision to shutter laboratories across the nation—some which had been working to curb the spread of bird flu—will lead to even slower response times to future outbreaks. Further, reports that FDA is considering combining all product offices into a single Office of Product Evaluation and Regulation would further undermine oversight and enforcement,” the Senators wrote.
The Senators concluded their letter, urging Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary to reconsider their decision to ax HHS and FDA’s workforce at the detriment of Americans’ health.
“Americans deserve access to the safest and healthiest food. But, too often, it has been a source of sickness, rather than a source of health. The Trump Administration’s recent actions, sadly, will not change that—and will not ‘Make America Healthy Again.’ Americans will become even sicker. We encourage HHS and FDA to abandon these plans and invest in improving the health and well-being of Americans,” the Senators concluded their letter.
In addition to Durbin and Blumenthal, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Tina Smith (D-MN) signed onto the letter.
In April, Durbin led the Illinois Democratic Delegation in sending a letter to Secretary Kennedy vocalizing their strong opposition to his decision to close the HHS Region 5 office in Chicago. In addition to ripping away billions in promised federal funding, Secretary Kennedy has overseen the destruction of HHS’ workforce and infrastructure, putting thousands of dedicated career civil servants out of a job while gutting critical federal agencies. Since President Trump’s inauguration, 10,000 HHS employees have left the agency or been fired. A couple weeks ago, HHS announced that an additional 10,000 public health workers will be fired, including 3,500 from the Food and Drug Administration, 2,400 workers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,200 workers from the National Institutes of Health, and 300 workers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Full text of the letter follows:
May 9, 2025
Dear Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary,
We write with concern about recent changes at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that will weaken the Human Foods Program. We urge you to abandon these plans before Americans become even sicker.
The Human Foods Program oversees 78 percent of food in the United States. It enforces federal laws, coordinates with other federal agencies and state and local governments, and distributes public health information. Further, it combats diet-related chronic diseases, such as heart disease and certain cancers, that shorten lives and contribute to rising health care costs. The Human Foods Program is one of the best positioned federal offices to help “Make America Healthy Again,” but the Trump Administration has undermined the program through workforce terminations, funding cuts, and haphazard “reorganizations,” all of which will put the health and well-being of Americans at risk.
For example, in March, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans to eliminate 3,500 FDA employees, including hundreds of workers in the Human Foods Program and nearly 170 workers in the Office of Inspections and Investigations, who helped to book travel for inspectors and processed reimbursements. In addition, FDA is cutting funding to state inspection offices, which conduct more than 50 percent of inspections at processed food facilities, 90 percent of inspections at produce facilities, and all inspections at restaurants. In the face of too many serious outbreaks and recalls, FDA has not taken the steps necessary to inspect food facilities or address serious issues, such as prior to the nationwide infant formula recall in 2022. The Government Accountability Office found that food inspections need to be strengthened to prevent outbreaks. However, HHS’ changes will force food inspectors to spend valuable time booking their own travel and seeking approvals, rather than inspecting food facilities. This is careless and will lead to even fewer inspections—and less safe food.
HHS also announced a significant reorganization, including the closure of regional offices in Chicago, New York, Boston, Seattle, and San Francisco, and the closure of laboratories across the nation. Eliminating these regional offices will reduce state and local governments’ access to HHS resources, and the decision to shutter laboratories across the nation—some which had been working to curb the spread of bird flu—will lead to even slower response times to future outbreaks. Further, reports that FDA is considering combining all product offices into a single Office of Product Evaluation and Regulation would further undermine oversight and enforcement.
Americans deserve access to the safest and healthiest food. But, too often, it has been a source of sickness, rather than a source of health. The Trump Administration’s recent actions, sadly, will not change that—and will not “Make America Healthy Again.” Americans will become even sicker. We encourage HHS and FDA to abandon these plans and invest in improving the health and well-being of Americans.
Sincerely,
-30-