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Mitch McConnell returns to Senate after long absence
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, will return to the Senate on Monday, Sept. 14 after months of speculation about his public whereabouts.
Mitch McConnell returns to Senate after three-month health absence
The 84-year-old Kentucky Republican is back in Washington after a fall, hospitalization, pneumonia and weeks of rehabilitation kept him away from the Senate.
McConnell say he'll vote in Senate for the first time since his hospitalization in June
Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is returning to vote in the Senate | KNSS Radio
Mitch McConnell returning to the Senate after three-month absence due to health issues
Sen. Mitch McConnell is returning on Monday to Capitol Hill for the first time after a three-month absence due to health issues.
Mitch McConnell returning to the Senate after three-month absence due to health issues
Sen. Mitch McConnell is returning on Monday to Capitol Hill for the first time after a three-month absence due to health issues.
Crypto regulation bill nears Senate vote amid debate over Trump ventures
The Senate could vote as soon as Tuesday on landmark legislation spelling out how the federal government regulates cryptocurrency and digital assets
Crypto regulation bill nears Senate vote amid debate over Trump ventures
The Senate could vote as soon as Tuesday on landmark legislation spelling out how the federal government regulates cryptocurrency and digital assets
Crypto regulation bill nears Senate vote amid debate over Trump ventures
The Senate could vote as soon as Tuesday on landmark legislation spelling out how the federal government regulates cryptocurrency and digital assets
Crypto regulation bill nears Senate vote amid debate over Trump ventures
The Senate could vote as soon as Tuesday on landmark legislation spelling out how the federal government regulates cryptocurrency and digital assets
Protect College Sports Act gets renewed push and fresh opposition as college football returns
With college football in full swing, proponents of the Protect College Sports Act have launched an all-out blitz to push the legislation through the Senate before the chamber breaks in
Joe Manchin says he supports Republican candidates in battleground Senate races in Maine and Michigan
Former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat-turned-independent, said Monday he supports two Republican Senate candidates running in battleground races in November.
Which Senate seats are most likely to flip parties? We have a new CNN analysis
Vance to Campaign in Kansas as Democrats Target a Republican Stronghold
Vice President JD Vance is beginning a key final stretch of midterm campaigning by dropping in on the Senate race in Kansas, where Republicans were long seen as heavily favored.
Crypto, AI, college sports and more: Senate returns with long to-do list
The Senate will hold a procedural vote on the Clarity Act on Tuesday
Crypto, AI, college sports and more: Senate returns with long to-do list
The Senate will hold a procedural vote on the Clarity Act on Tuesday
Congress could tackle cryptocurrency, college sports and data centers upon its return
The U.S. Senate will consider legislation to regulate cryptocurrency and college sports when it returns to Washington on Monday.
Senate returns today for final legislative sprint ahead of midterms
The 9 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2026
With seven weeks until Election Day, control of the US Senate is up for grabs as Democrats go on offense in red territory and Republicans look to make headway in a small number of blue-held seats.
Trump, Vance open midterm campaign tour as GOP troubles deepen
The president and vice president are trying to rescue Senate candidates in North Carolina and Kansas, both states Republicans carried two years ago.
Klomp, nominated for No. 2 health post, faces Senate gauntlet
The man nominated to be Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s No. 2 has quietly met with nearly 35 senators ahead of his confirmation hearings.
Crypto’s political clout meets resistance on the left
A group of Senate Democrats is considering voting for an industry-friendly crypto bill. The left could make that painful.
RNC convention leaves town. Home stretch of election begins.
Labor Day weekend is usually the kick-off to the last two months of the election where candidates really hone their message and hit the campaign trail. Lone Star Politics breaks down the highlights of the first ever midterm Republican National Convention in Dallas and speak to Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and State Rep. James Talarico.
Convicted sex offender offered opening prayer at rally for GOP Senate nominee in North Carolina
A North Carolina pastor who led the opening prayer at a recent campaign stop for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley is a registered sex offender, twice sentenced to prison. Records
Football and politics merge at Michigan tailgate as Senate candidates mingle with attendees
Football and politics merge at Michigan tailgate as Senate candidates mingle with attendees
Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams reports from Ann Arbor, Mich., on the Senate race between Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed on 'Fox News Sunday.'
House Speaker Mike Johnson says Trump’s $5,000 ‘dividend’ needs congressional approval
President Donald Trump's proposal to send $5,000 to every American adult if his Republican Party maintains control of the House and Senate in the November election needs congressional approval, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson says Trump’s $5,000 ‘dividend’ needs congressional approval
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's proposal to send $5,000 to every American adult if his Republican Party maintains control of the House and Senate in
House Speaker Mike Johnson says Trump's $5,000 'dividend' needs congressional approval
House Speaker Mike Johnson says Congress would have to approve President Donald Trump's proposal to send $5,000 to each American adult if the Republican Party maintains control of the House and Senate in the November election.
Ron DeSantis endorsed a state Senate candidate on 9/11. It could have waited.
Campaigns have mostly learned to leave the logos off 9/11. The Governor hasn't learned to leave the day alone.
Deepfakes are the latest weapon in Texas’ Senate race
Generating unflattering or even false images of the nation’s leaders is as old as the republic itself. Today, technology can make those spoofs far more convincing.
Pols & Politics: The Massachusetts primary winners and losers are …
The Herald takes a look at the winners and losers from the Sept. 1 primary, where some races, particularly one pitting Boston’s mayor against the state Senate, were still up in the air a week later.
Inside the Impeachment Trial that Threatened to End Ken Paxton’s Political Career
Mr. Paxton, the Texas attorney general now running for the U.S. Senate, was accused of abusing the power of his office to protect a campaign donor. He was acquitted on all counts.
Was there ever a Colorado city that required racial segregation by law?
The answer is “yes.” The Black Racial Equity Study Commission, led by Colorado Senate President James Coleman, has learned the city of Fruita had laws forbidding black people from being on the city streets at night and from being buried in the all-white local cemetery. Fruita is a small city located to the west of […]
Trump's teasing is the price Paxton had to pay to use Republican midterm convention to raise money
Trump mocked Ken Paxton on stage, then endorsed him as Paxton asked for support and donors poured money into the Senate race.
Husted Senate campaign fires political director after Nazi photo surfaces
U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, speaks to the media following a roundtable discussion with local representatives from defense firms, educational programs and other organizations on Friday, March 6, 2026. CORNELIUS FROLIK / STAFF
Ohio Republican in Key Senate Race Fires Campaign Aide, Citing Social Media Photo of Nazis
Senator Jon Husted dismissed his political director because of activity displaying a “complete lack” of judgment, according to a spokeswoman.
Jackson Rallies Volunteers at Campaign Stop in Rockland
Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful said he entered politics because power and influence has held people back.
Republican Groups Rush to Paxton’s Aid in Texas After Staying on Sidelines
An organization allied with Senate G.O.P. leaders has booked more than $51 million in ads. Now, Ken Paxton has a financial edge after months of being outspent by his Democratic rival.
Ashley Moody already has 50% support in new poll of Senate race
Nixon has a narrow path to close the gap, given most voters know who they like already.
Mitch McConnell has been absent from Capitol Hill for three months. It’s still unclear when he’ll return
The Senate is set to return Monday after a five-week recess, and it is still unclear if GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell will end his three-month absence from the Capitol due to health issues.
Trump can’t stop insulting his own candidate in Texas. Why?
Republicans’ hopes of holding their Senate majority might hinge on Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton more than anyone else.
Stewart-Cousins confident N.Y. Senate Dems will regain supermajority
Democrats currently hold 41 of the state Senate’s 63 seats, leaving them one seat short of a supermajority.
Republicans made El-Sayed a top midterm target. The Democrat wants to talk about Michigan voters
Republicans are aggressively targeting Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee from Michigan, as the face of the opposition.
Republicans made El-Sayed a top midterm target. The Democrat wants to talk about Michigan voters
Republicans are aggressively targeting Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee from Michigan, as the face of the opposition.
Fact-Checking Trump’s Attacks on Democratic Senate Candidates
The president attacked three Democrats running for Senate this week with inaccurate claims to portray them as too extreme.
North Carolina U.S. Senate Candidates ramp up campaign efforts as midterm nears
With the midterm elections around the corner, North Carolina's U.S. Senate candidates, Republican Michael Whatley and Democrat Roy Cooper are continuing campaign efforts in North Carolina and Texas.
Elon Musk's PAC adds Maine 2nd District race to electioneering bid
Musk's America PAC is already spending on the high-profile Maine U.S. Senate race. Now it's sending text and phone messages hoping to boost Republican Paul LePage in his contest against Democrat Matt Dunlap.
Ohio Senate campaign staffer used Nazi soldiers as profile photo
A top staffer for Sen. Jon Husted's reelection campaign recently made a playlist of songs in honor of White colonists in Rhodesia and wore a Nazi uniform.
Your Weekly Michigan Political Brief
Jewish Voice for Peace Action has endorsed the campaign of Abdul El-Sayed, and has launched “Jews for Abdul” to garner support for the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee. El-Sayed also gained the support of other prominent Jewish community members, former office holders and federal administration officials. The group issued an open letter detailing why they were […]
Senate Dems pass reintroduced legislation to reform ‘hard cap’ on educators’ health benefits
Michigan Senate Democrats passed legislation on Thursday to rein in skyrocketing health insurance costs for educators and other public employees. While the GOP-controlled House is unlikely to take up the bill, the Senate’s action makes it clear that educators’ fight for more affordable healthcare is not over — but it does hinge on the result […]
Heckler at GOP convention says of Abdul El-Sayed: 'He should be shot'
An attendee at the GOP midterm convention called for Democratic Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan and James Talorico of Texas to be shot.
SC television group requiring candidates to sign non-compete clauses for upcoming debate season
Television stations owned by Gray Media are allegedly requiring participants in upcoming debates for governor and U.S. Senate to agree not to work with their competition to participate.
Bret Baier presses Paxton on Trump $5K dividend payment support
Fox News host Bret Baier questioned Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican Senate nominee, on Thursday over his support for President Trump’s new controversial “Trump dividend” proposal.…
Al Franken, other Jewish Americans endorse El-Sayed in Michigan Senate race
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee in the Michigan Senate race, has faced a backlash from some Jewish Democrats for his intense criticism of Israel.
Senate Health chair wants WV to reinstate death penalty for egregious sexual crimes against children
Sen. Brian Helton, a member of Senate leadership, says he’ll push legislation to reinstate the death penalty in West Virginia.
New anti-gun legislation is about preventing firearm ownership, not safety
By Ava Flanell It’s been a little more than a month since the most radical anti-gun legislation went into effect in Colorado history: Senate Bill 25-003. Originally intended as an “assault weapons ban,” Colorado Democrat sponsors settled for a complicated half-measure they wrongly believed would be a more tolerable violation of Coloradans’ Second Amendment rights. […]
America, GOP at political ‘inflection point,’ top Trump running in crucial Senate race warns.mp4
Former RNC Chair Michael Whatley told Fox News Digital that the Republican's tough Senate map was indicative of an "inflection" for the GOP, and that elections "have consequences" as he tries to keep North Carolina red.
Hinson doesn’t rule out Trump’s pledge of $5K to adults; calls for relief for families
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson said Thursday she wants to look at all proposals aimed at improving affordability for working families, including recent comments from President Donald Trump to pay out $5,000 to U.S. adults.
Kimmel says Talarico interview won't air on TV under regulatory pressure from FCC
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel said the agency that regulates television “threatened” the show and that an interview with James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, will not air on television but on YouTube — thus bypassing any control or regulation by the Federal Communications Commission.
Undercover video exposes Dem Senate nominee's plan to embrace socialists: 'Got to be together'
Roy Cooper's North Carolina Senate race heats up as the former governor rejects calls to repudiate Democratic Socialists of America's influence.
Jon Husted leans into immigration to define Senate campaign
Focusing on traditional Republican issues like immigration could help Husted define himself to voters.
President Trump’s $5,000 pledge surprises Wisconsin Republicans
President Donald Trump promised that if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in November, every American adult will get a $5,000 check.
Trump’s $5,000 Promise and Other Takeaways From the GOP Midterm Convention
The Republican midterm convention may have lived up to the nickname “Trump-a-palooza” after President Donald Trump promised a $5,000 dividend for adult Americans – if Republicans maintain control of the House and Senate after the midterm election. “Pretend that I’m on the ballot,” Trump said in his ...
Trump promised $5,000 checks if Republicans win the midterms. How would that work?
President Donald Trump promised on Wednesday to send every American adult a $5,000 check if Republicans keep control of the U.S. House and Senate after the midterm elections. "If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000," Trump told the crowd at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas. "It will be called the Trump dividend." WATCH: Trump promises $5,000 'dividend' for Americans if GOP wins midterms Trump said the rationale behind the
Political ads with made-up trans people are being used to bash Democrats
Elon Musk’s super PAC dropped dozens of ads this week in key Senate races, and the majority of them focus on trans people.
Brownsberger edges Lander by 35 votes after Senate race recount
STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, Sept. 10, 2026.....Senate President Pro Tempore William Brownsberger of Belmont has narrowly won his reelection bid following tense recounts that saw him capture a 35-vote lead over
Jimmy Kimmel says FCC 'threatened our show' over interview with Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico
The late-night host said the sitdown would instead be posted directly to YouTube.
Kimmel says interview with James Talarico won't air on TV under pressure from the FCC
Jimmy Kimmel says the federal agency regulating television has "threatened" his show. An interview with James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, will now air on YouTube instead...
Will North Carolina's US Senate race feature any debates this year?
If you’re an undecided voter, you might want to compare the candidates side by side on a debate stage, or in sit-down interviews with your local TV station, or perhaps at public events where they make speeches. This year, you might not find any of those opportunities to get to know Roy Cooper and Michael Whatley.
Trump’s $5K dividend proposal if Republicans win midterms draws mixed reactions
During the GOP convention, the president said all U.S. adults would receive $5,000 if Republicans maintain House and Senate control
Trump’s $5K dividend proposal if Republicans win midterms draws mixed reactions
During the GOP convention, the president said all U.S. adults would receive $5,000 if Republicans maintain House and Senate control
Trump’s $5K dividend proposal if Republicans win midterms draws mixed reactions
During the GOP convention, the president said all U.S. adults would receive $5,000 if Republicans maintain House and Senate control
Jimmy Kimmel’s interview with James Talarico won’t air on ABC, will go to YouTube instead
It's the second time this year a late-night interview with the Texas U.S. Senate candidate has been moved online.
Jimmy Kimmel says show won’t air James Talarico interview on TV, citing FCC threats
The late-night talk show host said the interview with the Democratic Senate candidate would air instead on YouTube.
Maine educators back Troy Jackson for U.S. Senate
The MEA is the largest union in Maine, representing more than 24,000 current and retired educators and support staff, including college professors.
WATCH: Trump promises $5,000 'dividend' for Americans if GOP wins midterms
President Donald Trump promised on Wednesday to send every adult American citizen a $5,000 "dividend" if Republicans keep control of both the Senate and House of Representatives in the midterms.
Republican Senate Candidates Avoid Tariffs and Iran War at Trump’s Convention
Four battleground Senate nominees who spoke sidestepped a pair of issues that have posed political challenges, focusing instead on Mr. Trump’s tax law and other topics.
Texas politics takes center stage at 2026 RNC Convention
Texas politics and its contested Senate race take center stage at the 2026 RNC Convention in Dallas, Texas.
Texas politics takes center stage at 2026 RNC Convention
Texas politics and its contested Senate race take center stage at the 2026 RNC Convention in Dallas, Texas.
Texas politics takes center stage at 2026 RNC Convention
Texas politics and its contested Senate race take center stage at the 2026 RNC Convention in Dallas, Texas.
Texas politics takes center stage at 2026 RNC Convention
Texas politics and its contested Senate race take center stage at the 2026 RNC Convention in Dallas, Texas.
Iowa’s 2026 races put political identity to the test
For the past decade, Iowa has consistently leaned republican, with the GOP holding majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. But as the 2026 midterms approach, the state’s top races for governor and U.S. Senate are becoming more competitive. According to reporting by Cook Politics Report, a nonpartisan political analyst, the governor’s race “leans...
Trump’s health nominees set to move forward with Senate return
Click in for more news from The Hill{beacon} Healthcare Healthcare The Big Story Trump’s health nominees set to move forward with Senate return Several of President Trump’s health nomi…
Texas Senate candidate James Talarico: Voters are "tired of this professional wrestling" in politics
New Hampshire Gubernatorial and US Senate Primaries By the Numbers
Kelly Ayotte makes history once again in the Granite State.
Political figure and U.S. army veteran Bruce Lunsford dies
Bruce Lunford, a former Democratic gubernatorial and Senate candidate, has passed away.
ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Varney & Co. on Fox Business to Discuss Tariffs on Israel, Affordability
WASHINGTON—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty, (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Varney & Co. on Fox Business to discuss the foreign trade restrictions on Israel and affordability ahead of the midterm election. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on foreign trade restrictions on Israel: I’m disappointed, […]
NPR reporter explains what to expect on the first day of Dallas' Republican midterm convention
NPR political reporter Stephen Fowler explains what he's looking out for and what to expect from Ken Paxton, who's running for U.S. Senate and will speak at the convention Wednesday.
With Sununu vs. Pappas, familiar names will compete in New Hampshire Senate race
Republican John E. Sununu, a former U.S. senator, and Democrat Chris Pappas, a member of the U.S. House, are vying to replace U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, whose decision not to seek reelection created a cascade of competitive races.
The Cost of Cutting American Science: How Federal Cuts Diminish Public Health Capacity
Among the federal government’s many responsibilities is the work it does to protect public health. Federal agencies monitor our food supply to ensure safety, conduct research to better understand emerging health threats, provide funding for public health programs in communities and work to detect and respond to disease outbreaks. Americans rely on these efforts every day—in a 2024 online survey, 74% of respondents said that “if the federal government issued safety guidance about food you eat regularly,” they would follow it. Changes to Federal Public Health Capacity The Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government have resulted in significant impacts on our nation’s public health capacity over the past 20 months, affecting the response to health concerns such as measles, Ebola and cyclosporiasis. Agencies with core public health, food safety and disease prevention responsibilities experienced large workforce decreases during the first year of the administration. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, the workforce in February 2026 was 26.7% smaller than in September 2024 before the start of the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration saw a similarly steep decline of 21.6%. Agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Food Safety and Inspection Service also experienced large workforce decreases. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); Changes can also be seen in crucial public health occupations. The number of federal food inspectors, for example, decreased by more than half between September 2024 and February 2026, going from 1,035 to 473. This is the lowest number of food inspectors employed by the federal government since at least 2005. By February 2026, there were also 33.3% fewer federal public health program specialists, whose work includes advising federal funding recipients on public health activities and analyzing the effectiveness of public health programs. Government’s capacity is diminished as employees with specialized knowledge and experience in protecting the public and responding to health risks depart, leaving agencies less prepared to carry out their public health missions. There also have been vacancies in critical high-level leadership positions at public health agencies, most notably at the CDC, which had a permanent Senate-confirmed director for less than a month between January 2025 and early August 2026. Although the CDC has previously been led by acting directors at the start of an administration, the nearly yearlong gap since the departure of the administration’s first permanent director in August 2025 is without precedent. As of August 2026, the FDA is also currently without a Senate-confirmed commissioner following the previous commissioner’s resignation in May 2026. Additionally, public health agencies are experiencing increased politicization of their leadership ranks. In agencies such as the CDC and Food Safety and Inspection Service, the number of individuals in the Senior Executive Service—the most senior career leaders in government—has declined significantly, while at the same time the number of political appointees has reached record levels. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); At the CDC, for example, the number of career SES decreased 42.9% between December 2024 and February 2026, while the number of non-Senate confirmed political appointees at the agency was six times larger than the agency’s historical average from 2009 and 2024. Knowledgeable career leaders are integral to the ability of public health agencies to carry out their work with scientific integrity and professional judgment, and rapid leadership turnover and increased politicization threaten agencies’ ability to make evidence-based decisions to protect our health. The upheaval and politicization in public health agencies have also negatively affected employee engagement. Strong employee engagement is crucial to the ability of agencies to carry out their mission and successfully provide essential services to the public. In the 2025 Public Service Viewpoint Survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, the Department of Health and Human Services—which encompasses major public health agencies such as the CDC and FDA—had an employee engagement and satisfaction score of 20.4 out of 100, one of the lowest among large agencies. Only 2.8% of HHS employees indicated trust in their political leaders and only 8.7% reported confidence that they could report a suspected violation of law or regulation without retaliation. Employees at HHS also reported that the agency’s ability to provide services to the public had suffered. Nearly half of employees at HHS, 47.5%, said their work unit was worse at delivering quality services compared to its performance in 2024. In addition, 57.8% said their work unit was performing worse at fulfilling stakeholder needs. In addition to the work done within federal agencies, the federal government also distributes significant funding for public health and disease prevention work to state and local governments, nonprofits and small businesses—funding which has been significantly disrupted. At the CDC, for example, there was a 71.9% decrease in the amount of project grant funding issued in fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024. The FDA also issued far less funding in fiscal year 2025—a 21.3% decrease from its fiscal year 2024 funding. Changes in federal funding include the ending of grants to community organizations that worked on HIV prevention and the cancellation of funding for research into improvements to patient safety and healthcare quality. These changes go beyond federal agencies to impact the broader public health ecosystem, including the state and local health departments responsible for much of the on-the-ground public health work in their communities. About 80% of the CDC’s domestic funding is directed towards state and local partners—meaning that cuts to CDC funding can ultimately result in cuts to state and local public health capacity. Federal agencies also provide expertise and assistance to state and local health agencies as they deal with particular health challenges, but workforce cuts have resulted in fewer federal employees available to help. The Impact of Changes to Public Health Capacity These changes to federal public health capacity are not abstract concerns. Disrupted programs, reduced funding and lost expertise at public health agencies across all levels of government threaten the public’s physical well-being and safety. In some cases, this has already led to harm. The most immediate impacts of federal cuts were seen in interruptions to ongoing public health programs and crisis responses. In one instance, when CDC grants were canceled during the 2025 Texas measles outbreak—the most severe measles outbreak in 25 years—public health officials in Lubbock, Texas were forced to pause parts of their measles response work supported by the frozen funding. Lubbock’s director of public health further said that a lack of available CDC experts to reach out to for advice “definitely” impacted the department’s response to the measles crisis. Cuts to federal funding also forced Dallas County Health and Human Services to cut staff and cancel 50 community vaccination clinics during the outbreak. Public health work outside of major outbreak responses was also disrupted. For example, in April 2025, the Milwaukee Public Health Department was unexpectedly unable to reach experts on lead poisoning due to firings at the CDC when responding to concerns about lead contamination in Milwaukee public schools. Due to federal workforce cuts, several programs at the CDC, including Alzheimer’s and epilepsy programs, have also become trapped in limbo—existing on paper, but without the staff necessary to operate. More recent crises reveal how federal cuts have weakened the public health infrastructure needed to prevent and respond to dangerous new outbreaks. Internationally, cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated funding for disease testing and contact tracing abroad, which delayed detection of and responses to the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While international outbreaks may seem far removed, the unchecked spread of disease in any country can quickly pose a danger to economic well-being, security and health around the world. Within the United States, public health cuts inhibited responses to the summer 2026 outbreak of the food-borne parasite cyclospora. At the federal level, cuts to funding for lab equipment and for CDC staff with expertise in parasitic infections—including 9 out of 11 staff members at the lab responsible for identifying parasitic outbreaks in 2025— contributed to the largest reporting delay in outbreak cases at the CDC in 15 years. Conflicting communications from the FDA about the source of the outbreak, which followed cuts to the agency’s communications department, additionally led to confusion among the public about how to best avoid infection. At the same time, cuts to HHS funding and support for local and state public health slowed some health departments’ responses to the crisis. The exact costs of these delays, constraints and confusion in public health responses are difficult to estimate. However, their message is clear: federal cuts have already made containing threats to public health even more of a challenge. Conclusion Protecting public health—from food safety to disease prevention—is one of the federal government’s most important missions. Dramatic and haphazard cuts to federal agencies and funding have already disrupted the public health system, impacting the response to challenges such as measles, lead poisoning and cyclosporiasis. The U.S. public health system needed improvement before these disruptions. Since 2022, federal leadership and coordination in response to public health outbreaks has been on the Government Accountability Office’s High-Risk List of areas in need of attention to improve government effectiveness and efficiency. Recent cuts only compound these concerns. The chaotic dismantling of government and resulting disruptions to crucial functions like public health and disease prevention highlight the need for meaningful reform and concrete policy proposals to reimagine how government can better serve the public and be more effective, responsive and accountable. To learn more about the impact of federal cuts to public health and science more broadly, visit The Cost of Cutting American Science. Learn more For more information on the Partnership for Public Service’s government reform initiative, visit Government for a New Era. View here In line with The Cost of Cutting American Science, federal workforce data in this brief is as of February 2026
The Cost of Cutting American Science: How Federal Cuts Diminish Public Health Capacity
Among the federal government’s many responsibilities is the work it does to protect public health. Federal agencies monitor our food supply to ensure safety, conduct research to better understand emerging health threats, provide funding for public health programs in communities and work to detect and respond to disease outbreaks. Americans rely on these efforts every day—in a 2024 online survey, 74% of respondents said that “if the federal government issued safety guidance about food you eat regularly,” they would follow it. Changes to Federal Public Health Capacity The Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government have resulted in significant impacts on our nation’s public health capacity over the past 20 months, affecting the response to health concerns such as measles, Ebola and cyclosporiasis. Agencies with core public health, food safety and disease prevention responsibilities experienced large workforce decreases during the first year of the administration. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, the workforce in February 2026 was 26.7% smaller than in September 2024 before the start of the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration saw a similarly steep decline of 21.6%. Agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Food Safety and Inspection Service also experienced large workforce decreases. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); Changes can also be seen in crucial public health occupations. The number of federal food inspectors, for example, decreased by more than half between September 2024 and February 2026, going from 1,035 to 473. This is the lowest number of food inspectors employed by the federal government since at least 2005. By February 2026, there were also 33.3% fewer federal public health program specialists, whose work includes advising federal funding recipients on public health activities and analyzing the effectiveness of public health programs. Government’s capacity is diminished as employees with specialized knowledge and experience in protecting the public and responding to health risks depart, leaving agencies less prepared to carry out their public health missions. There also have been vacancies in critical high-level leadership positions at public health agencies, most notably at the CDC, which had a permanent Senate-confirmed director for less than a month between January 2025 and early August 2026. Although the CDC has previously been led by acting directors at the start of an administration, the nearly yearlong gap since the departure of the administration’s first permanent director in August 2025 is without precedent. As of August 2026, the FDA is also currently without a Senate-confirmed commissioner following the previous commissioner’s resignation in May 2026. Additionally, public health agencies are experiencing increased politicization of their leadership ranks. In agencies such as the CDC and Food Safety and Inspection Service, the number of individuals in the Senior Executive Service—the most senior career leaders in government—has declined significantly, while at the same time the number of political appointees has reached record levels. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); At the CDC, for example, the number of career SES decreased 42.9% between December 2024 and February 2026, while the number of non-Senate confirmed political appointees at the agency was six times larger than the agency’s historical average from 2009 and 2024. Knowledgeable career leaders are integral to the ability of public health agencies to carry out their work with scientific integrity and professional judgment, and rapid leadership turnover and increased politicization threaten agencies’ ability to make evidence-based decisions to protect our health. The upheaval and politicization in public health agencies have also negatively affected employee engagement. Strong employee engagement is crucial to the ability of agencies to carry out their mission and successfully provide essential services to the public. In the 2025 Public Service Viewpoint Survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, the Department of Health and Human Services—which encompasses major public health agencies such as the CDC and FDA—had an employee engagement and satisfaction score of 20.4 out of 100, one of the lowest among large agencies. Only 2.8% of HHS employees indicated trust in their political leaders and only 8.7% reported confidence that they could report a suspected violation of law or regulation without retaliation. Employees at HHS also reported that the agency’s ability to provide services to the public had suffered. Nearly half of employees at HHS, 47.5%, said their work unit was worse at delivering quality services compared to its performance in 2024. In addition, 57.8% said their work unit was performing worse at fulfilling stakeholder needs. In addition to the work done within federal agencies, the federal government also distributes significant funding for public health and disease prevention work to state and local governments, nonprofits and small businesses—funding which has been significantly disrupted. At the CDC, for example, there was a 71.9% decrease in the amount of project grant funding issued in fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024. The FDA also issued far less funding in fiscal year 2025—a 21.3% decrease from its fiscal year 2024 funding. Changes in federal funding include the ending of grants to community organizations that worked on HIV prevention and the cancellation of funding for research into improvements to patient safety and healthcare quality. These changes go beyond federal agencies to impact the broader public health ecosystem, including the state and local health departments responsible for much of the on-the-ground public health work in their communities. About 80% of the CDC’s domestic funding is directed towards state and local partners—meaning that cuts to CDC funding can ultimately result in cuts to state and local public health capacity. Federal agencies also provide expertise and assistance to state and local health agencies as they deal with particular health challenges, but workforce cuts have resulted in fewer federal employees available to help. The Impact of Changes to Public Health Capacity These changes to federal public health capacity are not abstract concerns. Disrupted programs, reduced funding and lost expertise at public health agencies across all levels of government threaten the public’s physical well-being and safety. In some cases, this has already led to harm. The most immediate impacts of federal cuts were seen in interruptions to ongoing public health programs and crisis responses. In one instance, when CDC grants were canceled during the 2025 Texas measles outbreak—the most severe measles outbreak in 25 years—public health officials in Lubbock, Texas were forced to pause parts of their measles response work supported by the frozen funding. Lubbock’s director of public health further said that a lack of available CDC experts to reach out to for advice “definitely” impacted the department’s response to the measles crisis. Cuts to federal funding also forced Dallas County Health and Human Services to cut staff and cancel 50 community vaccination clinics during the outbreak. Public health work outside of major outbreak responses was also disrupted. For example, in April 2025, the Milwaukee Public Health Department was unexpectedly unable to reach experts on lead poisoning due to firings at the CDC when responding to concerns about lead contamination in Milwaukee public schools. Due to federal workforce cuts, several programs at the CDC, including Alzheimer’s and epilepsy programs, have also become trapped in limbo—existing on paper, but without the staff necessary to operate. More recent crises reveal how federal cuts have weakened the public health infrastructure needed to prevent and respond to dangerous new outbreaks. Internationally, cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated funding for disease testing and contact tracing abroad, which delayed detection of and responses to the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While international outbreaks may seem far removed, the unchecked spread of disease in any country can quickly pose a danger to economic well-being, security and health around the world. Within the United States, public health cuts inhibited responses to the summer 2026 outbreak of the food-borne parasite cyclospora. At the federal level, cuts to funding for lab equipment and for CDC staff with expertise in parasitic infections—including 9 out of 11 staff members at the lab responsible for identifying parasitic outbreaks in 2025— contributed to the largest reporting delay in outbreak cases at the CDC in 15 years. Conflicting communications from the FDA about the source of the outbreak, which followed cuts to the agency’s communications department, additionally led to confusion among the public about how to best avoid infection. At the same time, cuts to HHS funding and support for local and state public health slowed some health departments’ responses to the crisis. The exact costs of these delays, constraints and confusion in public health responses are difficult to estimate. However, their message is clear: federal cuts have already made containing threats to public health even more of a challenge. Conclusion Protecting public health—from food safety to disease prevention—is one of the federal government’s most important missions. Dramatic and haphazard cuts to federal agencies and funding have already disrupted the public health system, impacting the response to challenges such as measles, lead poisoning and cyclosporiasis. The U.S. public health system needed improvement before these disruptions. Since 2022, federal leadership and coordination in response to public health outbreaks has been on the Government Accountability Office’s High-Risk List of areas in need of attention to improve government effectiveness and efficiency. Recent cuts only compound these concerns. The chaotic dismantling of government and resulting disruptions to crucial functions like public health and disease prevention highlight the need for meaningful reform and concrete policy proposals to reimagine how government can better serve the public and be more effective, responsive and accountable. To learn more about the impact of federal cuts to public health and science more broadly, visit The Cost of Cutting American Science. Learn more For more information on the Partnership for Public Service’s government reform initiative, visit Government for a New Era. View here In line with The Cost of Cutting American Science, federal workforce data in this brief is as of February 2026
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