G2G Consulting Provides Updates from Washington D.C.

April 1, 2025

G2G Consulting has provided an update on recent developments impacting federal government policy, structure, and workforce in Washington, D.C.

Health

Notices of reduction in force (RIF) were sent out to thousands of employees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its affiliated agencies. This is expected to impact 10,000 people. Several senior HHS personnel were offered reassignment to the Indian Health Service (IHS).

NIH:

• Put on Leave: Jeanne Marrazzo, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Diana Bianchi, Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Vence Bonham, Acting Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
• Eliminated: Entire offices of NICHD and NHGRI, and large parts of the NIH Communications, HR, & Policy offices
• Cut: Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies, or BRAIN Initiative: Funding Reduced by 20% for FY2025
• G2G has met with NIH leadership in recent days who indicated they are having to make cuts of up to 35% to grants and contracts and end certain awards entirely. Mentions of diversity anywhere in awards must be justified scientifically or face termination.

FDA:

• RIF: Scientists at the Center for Veterinary Medicines working on avian influenza, antimicrobial resistance, and food safety, as well as affiliates of drug and device centers
• Eliminated: Communications Team at Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) which manages databases on drug approvals and the drug shortages list
• Left: Office of New Drugs Director Peter Nagy, and the Tobacco Center Director Brian King
• Let Go: Julie Tierney, Deputy Director at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). This follows the resignation tendered by Director Peter Marks, which is effective April 5.
• Unaffected: Oncology Center of Excellence

CDC

• Overall: Cuts to divisions, posts not directly tied to infectious disease by name.
• RIF: Scientists working on injury prevention, birth defects, reproductive health, substance use, and environmental health.
• Eliminated: CDC staff working on epilepsy.
• Reassigned Directors: Karen Hecker, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Jono Mermin, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention and Kayla Laserson, Global Health Center.

G2G is monitoring the situation at other HHS agencies including CMS and ARPA-H.

Other Agencies and Entities

• Department of Defense (DoD)
  • Communications released on March 28 and 29 move forward with plans to reduce DoD civilian workforce by 5-8%. This may impact as many as 76,000 employees.
  • Revised organizational charts with proposed consolidation are required to be submitted to the DoD personnel undersecretary by April 11.
  • The hiring freeze is currently reducing the workforce by ~6,000 per month.
• Department of Education (ED): RIF of 50% initiated March 21, in line with President Trump’s pledge to abolish the department. Complete winding down of ED requires Congressional approval.
• The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) staff was put on leave on March 31.

FY26 Appropriations:

• G2G has had direct interactions with several members of Congress, including senior appropriators from both sides of the aisle.
• The President’s Budget (PB) which is the technical first step to kick off the FY26 appropriations process is not expected to be released until May. This is significantly later than the normal date of the first Monday in February, and the typical timeframe of March when there is a change in Administration.
• The Republican House majority is expected to put together appropriations bills that align relatively too closely to the PB.
• The Appropriations Committees’ FY26 guidance for Community Project Funding (CPF) and Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) – commonly referred to as earmarks remain unclear.

Reconciliation:

• Opposition to a new, compromised budget framework between the House and Senate could jeopardize GOP leaders’ hope to move quickly on assembling a sweeping reconciliation package encompassing President Trump’s agenda.
• Several Republican Senators indicated opposition to direct cuts to Medicaid benefits, which would be likely under the Reconciliation framework passed by the House.

Tariffs:

• President Trump will soon unveil tariffs on a whole set of countries, including but not limited to Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, anyone that buys oil from Venezuela, and cars made outside the United States. It hasn’t been entirely clear what tariffs he will put in place.