Grade 2 of 5: Major Abuse of Power
FDA Food Safety Collapse: 3,500+ Staff Cut and Outbreak Investigation Capacity Gutted
Mass layoffs at the FDA driven by the Department of Government Efficiency eliminated over 3,500 staff in 2025, causing foreign food safety inspections to drop by nearly half, outbreak investigations to go unsolved at record rates, and critical programs like avian influenza testing to be halted.