The nation's largest union of registered nurses provided the following statement in response to today's announcement of mass layoffs in the Health and Human Services department.

"Registered nurses continue to be shocked and disturbed by the current administration's starving of critical public health care resources. 

"Our nation's public health depends on the dedicated civil servants who ensure the smooth delivery of health care to our nation's elderly, young, and poor through Medicaid, prevent the spread of infectious diseases through the CDC, and develop health promotion and disease and injury prevention programs across all federal agencies. The knowledge, expertise, and resources they provide enable state and local governments to support the health of our communities. The 225,000 nurses in our union and the millions of nurses across the country depend on these federal agencies to keep us safe and to keep our patients safe. 

“These staffing cuts, in concert with recent funding and grant cuts – like the CDC's withdrawal of $11.4 billion in infectious disease response – should be alarming to anyone who is invested in improving our country’s health care outcomes. It is clear to union nurses that the goal of this administration and Congressional Republicans is not to improve health, but to slash services and ultimately privatize the goods and services that are meant to serve all of us, so that their billionaire donors can boost their profits. The nation's largest union of registered nurses will be mobilizing to protect our patients and fight back against these cruel and short-sighted cuts."

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.