Rep. Connolly Demands Answers on CDC FOIA Staff Layoffs

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly is demanding answers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the recent layoffs of its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) staff. Connolly, a Democrat from Virginia, expressed his concerns in a letter to CDC’s acting director, Dr. Susan Monarez, about the elimination of 22 staff members who fulfill public records requests.

The layoffs took effect on April 1, just as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) implemented staff reductions. Connolly highlighted that under the FOIA, access to federal records has been a public right since the 1960s. He stated that with the layoffs, there are currently no personnel available to process FOIA requests, which he sees as an attempt by the administration to restrict public access to government information.

“The elimination of staff responsible for facilitating FOIA strongly implies an effort by the Administration to prevent the public from obtaining information about their government that they are entitled to request,” Connolly wrote, underscoring the urgency for transparency.

NPR sought comments from CDC but did not receive an immediate response. Reports suggest that similar cuts have occurred at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other agencies within HHS, complicating public access to vital information.

In his letter, Connolly inquired how the CDC plans to fulfill its obligations under FOIA and requested updates on pending requests and communications between the CDC and the previous administration. He also noted that ongoing infectious disease outbreaks heighten the need for transparency about the agency’s operations.

During a press conference, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced intentions to restore all FOIA offices, though it remains unclear if terminated staff will be rehired. “The papers that we produce in this agency do not belong to us. They belong to the American people,” Kennedy stated, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to transparency.

On April 9, Judge Randolph D. Moss expressed his own concerns about the FOIA layoffs in a federal court order, indicating that the CDC must comply with its obligations under FOIA. “The agency stands forewarned that it may not evade those obligations by dismissing or failing to replace the FOIA staff that is needed to do so,” he stated.