Trump Administration Orders Pause on US Health Agency Reports

Thu Jan 23 2025
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Key points

  • The order came one day after Trump took charge of the office
  • Health agencies make decisions that affect the lives of Americans
  • Critics fear this decision could thwart the flow of health information
  • Others report it is a normal part of the transition process of government

ISLAMABAD: The Trump administration, in its latest move, ordered federal health agencies to temporarily stop all external communications, including health advisories, weekly scientific reports, updates to websites, and social media posts.

According to the Washington Post, the instructions were delivered Tuesday to staff at agencies inside the Department of Health and Human Services, including officials at the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health, one day after the new administration took charge of administration.

These agencies are supposed to make decisions that affect the lives of every American and are the means of essential information to healthcare providers and organizations throughout the country.

Critics’ fear

Critics fear this decision could thwart the flow of health information, while others report it is a normal part of the transition process of government.

According to Al Jazeera, the Associated Press got a copy of the administration’s memo on Wednesday, the day after it was sent to federal health workers calling for the “immediate pause”.

Critics point to Trump’s first term, from 2017 to 2021, when he differed with public health officers over the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump, in 2020, blamed the number of COVID-19 tests for creating unflattering statistics.

“When you do test to that extent, you’re going to find more people, you’re going to find more cases,” Trump said. “So, I said to my people, ‘Slow the testing down, please.’”

Normal process

Steven Grossman, a former official with Health and Human Services, told the Associated Press that other administrations have, in a similar manner, sought a pause in public releases while they get ready for their leadership roles.

“The executive branch is a hierarchy,” said Grossman, who now consults with food and drug companies.

“Whether stated publicly or not, every new administration wants important commitments and positions to wait until new teams are in place and some semblance of hierarchy restored.”

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