Commentary
President Donald Trump’s skinny budget for fiscal year 2026, is a game-changer for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). By slashing $40 billion from HHS’s discretionary budget, cutting 20,000 jobs, and launching the Administration for a Healthy America, this plan delivers a leaner, more focused agency under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) vision. As the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, I see this budget as a courageous step to eliminate waste, prioritize chronic disease prevention, and rebuild trust in public health. In essence, it’s a prescription for a healthier America.
Slashing Waste, Saving Billions
HHS’s discretionary budget, ballooning to $121 billion in 2025, has long been riddled with inefficiencies. Trump’s proposal cuts it to $80.4 billion—a 33 percent reduction—saving taxpayers $40 billion annually. By targeting duplicative programs, like the National Institutes of Health’s redundant 27 institutes, the budget redirects funds to high-impact areas like chronic disease prevention, affecting 50 percent of Americans. The consolidation of NIH into eight institutes, streamlines innovation without sacrificing quality. This fiscal discipline, saving $1.8 billion yearly from workforce cuts alone, ensures every dollar serves patients, not bureaucrats.A Leaner, Smarter Workforce
The budget’s reduction of 20,000 HHS jobs is a masterstroke of efficiency. By trimming administrative roles in human resources, information technology, and high-cost regions, HHS sheds 24 percent of its 82,000-strong workforce, focusing on frontline health priorities. The FDA’s cut of 3,500 non-essential jobs, sparing drug reviewers, and the CDC’s 2,400 reductions target overhead, not expertise. This leaner HHS is poised to deliver results, not red tape.The AHA: A Vision for Prevention
The creation of the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA) is the budget’s crown jewel. By merging the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, AHA centralizes chronic care, mental health, and environmental health services. This streamlined entity absorbs rural programs, ensuring underserved communities get targeted support. Unlike the programs in the previous administration that were mired in ideology, AHA aligns with MAHA’s focus on clean water, safe food, and ending the chronic disease epidemic. Reducing HHS’s 10 regional offices to five further sharpens efficiency—and helps free new resources for a new Assistant Secretary for Enforcement to combat fraud.Rejecting Ideological Overreach
The budget boldly eliminates programs tainted by “woke ideology,” such as NIH’s gender identity research and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ health equity initiatives, which have often distracted from core health needs. By refocusing on evidence-based priorities, the budget tackles real threats. This clarity restores public trust, eroded by years of overreach, and empowers states to handle local needs, embodying federalism.Perfect Timing, Lasting Impact
Launched in Trump’s first 100 days, the budget leverages a 53-seat Senate majority to push reforms before 2026 mid-terms shift dynamics. With Congress’s budget authority looming, the proposal’s early timing—before June 2025 hearings—sets the stage for Republican-led appropriations to cement these changes. States like Utah banning SNAP soda purchases show the path forward, and HHS’s alignment amplifies this momentum. Unlike past budgets ignored by Congress, this plan’s clarity and public support make it a positive blueprint.Addressing Concerns, Seizing Opportunity
Critics will likely fearmonger over how reductions in bureaucracy will lead to poor health outcomes. But Secretary Kennedy’s focus on chronic disease and environmental health counters these fears, and the budget spares mandatory programs like Medicare. For healthcare providers and patients, a streamlined HHS means faster approvals, better care, and lower costs. Taxpayers gain a government that works for them, not against them.Trump’s skinny budget is a visionary reset for HHS, slashing waste, empowering prevention, and restoring trust.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
