U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Accused of Neglect Amid Agency Crises

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is facing a severe staffing shortfall, with thousands of positions vacant and key roles at the CDC and Surgeon General’s office unfilled. The agency is also contending with global health emergencies, including an Ebola outbreak and a resurgence of measles.

Employees say Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rarely visits the Washington headquarters, works only six‑hour days, and appears “checked out,” often scrolling his phone during high‑level meetings. An advocacy group, Protect Our Care, warned, “Every day that goes by without Secretary Kennedy’s long overdue resignation is a day American lives are put further in harm’s way.” Former staffers added, “It took them just a few weeks to break things that are going to take decades to fix.”

Staff morale and preparedness have fallen sharply, with many acting officials running NIH centers and critical positions remaining empty. The broader federal workforce has also been reduced, with tens of thousands of lawyers and diplomats leaving, and a recent executive order converting about 8,000 top civil‑service workers to at‑will status, raising concerns about the department’s ability to respond to public‑health threats.