ATLANTA — Dr. Erica Schwartz became the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week, facing immediate congressional scrutiny over whether she will staff and operate dozens of congressionally funded public health programs that were left empty following mass layoffs at the agency. The CDC has several programs funded by Congress that lack staff to operate them.

CDC experts who worked on these programs were laid off by President Donald Trump's administration or remain on paid administrative leave without being allowed to work. U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine pressed Dr. Erica Schwartz to restart the smoking office's dormant activities during her confirmation hearing. "This is an office that is in statute, and it’s an office that receives congressional appropriations," said Kaine, a Virginia Democrat.

Kaine asked the nominee directly about her commitment to executing congressional mandates. "Will you follow the law if we appropriate money for this mission and the CDC?" he asked. "I will always follow the law," Schwartz replied.

The staffing gaps affect a wide range of public health initiatives funded in January when Congress passed an appropriations bill that specified funding for more than 200 projects and activities. Congress allocated $246 million to the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health, but staffers at the office were cut. The office previously tracked trends, supported quit lines and operated the “Tips from Former Smokers” ad campaign, which researchers associate with billions of dollars in saved healthcare costs.

Other affected areas include chronic disease and data collection efforts. Congress appropriated $41 million to the CDC's Alzheimer’s disease program this year, yet there is no staff currently staffing the program. Staffers at the CDC's epilepsy program were cut, despite the CDC having an $11 million program focused on tracking epilepsy and community programs that help people manage the condition. Staffers at the CDC's sickle cell disease data collection operation were cut, even though Congress appropriated $6 million for the program.

The reductions also impacted injury prevention and maternal health monitoring. Staffers at the CDC's rape prevention unit were cut. The CDC has an $18 million program to support overdose prevention in tribal communities and a $2 million program focused on preventing drownings. The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System is a CDC program that collects data on health behaviors and outcomes before, during and after childbirth, and researchers have been using the data to investigate the nation’s maternal mortality problem.

In April 2025, the Trump administration sent layoff notices to thousands of employees at the CDC and other federal health agencies. The cuts affected researchers, scientists, doctors, support staffers and senior leaders. The layoffs were part of an effort to remake the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and consolidate some of its programs under a new subagency called the Administration for a Healthy America. The reorganization to create the Administration for a Healthy America has not happened due to congressional pushback.

Some layoffs were reversed, including drastic cuts to the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Other reinstatements included staffers at labs that test for sexually transmitted diseases and support lead poisoning control. As a result of litigation, staffers who were initially laid off have been placed on administrative leave while the legal fight continues. Staffers on administrative leave are paid but not allowed to do their jobs.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said tackling chronic disease is his central priority and has faulted the CDC for not doing enough to tackle chronic disease. In April, Kennedy said in a congressional hearing that more workers were needed at federal health agencies. In April, Kennedy said he planned to hire 12,000 people mainly to address chronic health conditions. It is unclear how many people have been hired at the CDC since April.

Kennedy visited the CDC earlier this month. At an employee forum, Kennedy praised CDC employees and told them: “My sole purpose is to allow you to do your jobs.” Kennedy did not address the funded programs that have no staff during the employee forum.

Democratic lawmakers say the CDC's zombie programs represent a violation of the Impoundment Control Act. Congress passed the Impoundment Control Act in 1974 after President Richard Nixon refused to spend appropriated funds.

Why It Matters

The law requires that the Department of Health and Human Services maintain staff to carry out statutorily required program work, although it does not specify how many staffers must be in each program. Public health advocates warn that the absence of personnel disrupts national coordination. "Without the experts, the coordination is not there across the country in tackling public health problems," said Erika Sward, chief advocacy officer for UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. "You're often flying blind, and without a parachute, when you don't have the CDC staff in place."

"Staffers at the CDC and other federal health agencies deserve a lot of credit for getting money out the door," said Eric Gascho, executive director of the Coalition for Health Funding. U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat, said in a statement that President Trump is showing time and again that he will put politics ahead of Americans’ health — and sadly, her Republican colleagues continue to look the other way.

Timeline

Congress passed the Impoundment Control Act in 1974 after President Richard Nixon refused to spend appropriated funds. In April 2025, the Trump administration sent layoff notices to thousands of employees at the CDC and other federal health agencies. In January, Congress passed an appropriations bill that specified funding for more than 200 projects and activities. The law requires that the Department of Health and Human Services maintain staff to carry out statutorily required program work, although it does not specify how many staffers must be in each program.

Congress appropriated $41 million to the CDC's Alzheimer’s disease program this year. Congress allocated $246 million to the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health. Congress appropriated $6 million for a sickle cell disease data collection program. The CDC has an $18 million program to support overdose prevention in tribal communities.

What's New

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced new initiatives targeting Lyme disease, including a goal to cut cases 25 percent by 2035 compared to 2022 levels. The Department of Health and Human Services is investing millions in AI-powered tools and has brought two improved FDA-cleared Lyme diagnostics to market through the LymeX community.