Gov. Brian Kemp weighs in on firing of 1,300 CDC employees; Protesters rally in Atlanta
Protests outside CDC headquarters in Atlanta
The Trump administration fired 1,300 workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week. Advocates for the world health agency staged a protest outside the Atlanta-based headquarters.
ATLANTA - Gov. Brian Kemp has reiterated his stance on limiting government growth, telling Politico during a weekend overseas trip that the government could benefit from "rightsizing."
PREVIOUS STORY: CDC to lose nearly 1,300 probationary employees under Trump's job cuts
What they're saying:
Kemp emphasized that Republican governors in Georgia have worked for years to prevent the state government workforce from expanding unnecessarily. His comments come as reports indicate that about 1,300 employees at the CDC were affected by recent job cuts initiated by Elon Musk's DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency).
CDC’s Critical Role
Why you should care:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is responsible for tracking and responding to emerging health threats, from infectious disease outbreaks to chronic health conditions.
With job losses affecting key personnel, some lawmakers argue that the cuts could weaken the agency’s ability to protect public health in the future. The debate continues as officials weigh the balance between government efficiency and maintaining essential public health services.
Senators Speak Out Against CDC Layoffs
What they're saying:
Sen. Jon Ossoff criticized the mass layoffs, calling them "indefensible" and warning that the decision jeopardizes public health while harming the careers of top scientists and doctors.
Sen. Raphael Warnock also spoke out, posting on social media:
"Over 1,300 of Georgia's best and brightest are losing their jobs because of the Trump administration's reckless attacks on public health. Make no mistake—these firings mean Americans are less safe from future pandemics. I will do everything I can to fight this."
Protesters Rally Against CDC Layoffs
What we know:
The Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council has organized a demonstration in support of the CDC. A group of protesters gathered at the Atlanta facility's entrance on Clifton Road on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
FOX 5 Atlanta streamed this event live on FOX5Atlanta.com, Facebook and YouTube.
What they're saying:
"I am not an angry or disgruntled federal employee. I am an illegally fired government employee," said Ryan Sloane, a CDC worker who was laid off. "This is chaotic. This is cruel. This is indiscriminate. This is not making the government more efficient. This is not making America more healthy. It's not protecting our institutions."
Sloane told FOX 5 Atlanta he believed his termination was illegal.
"I received an anonymous letter from a bureaucrat that I have never worked for – from HHS, not from CDC. There was no motion filed with the Department of Labor. There are workers' rights and steps that have to take place if, and when, an employee is terminated from the CDC and none of that happened," he explained.
FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Aungelique Proctor also spoke with an FDA employee who did not want to be identified. She earned a master’s degree and said both she and her husband lost their jobs. He was a contractor with the CDC.
"I feel pretty sad, because I was a girl full of dreams and I have been studying my whole life. We moved from El Paso, and now I move with my husband who was working at the CDC, as well, and he lost his job, too," the woman said. "Now, we are here in Atlanta. We have to apply for jobs that everyone is applying for, which will make it harder, and I feel so sad because I was enjoying working in public health. I was giving my life for that."
The woman said she and her husband will have to file for unemployment.