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# Kessler Slams Dangerous FDA Cuts at Hearing
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/kessler-slams-dangerous-fda-cuts-at-hearing/
- Published: 2025-04-09T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T14:57:19.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5158978

In striking testimony delivered to a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing 4/9, former FDA commissioner **David Kessler** issued a dire warning about the future of the U.S.’s public health and scientific leadership, pointing to recent sweeping FDA staff cuts as “devastating, haphazard, thoughtless, and chaotic.” Kessler, who served under presidents **George H.W. Bush** and **Bill Clinton** and co-led Operation Warp Speed against the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, said recent reductions in force at the agency threaten its ability to protect Americans from illicit drugs, unsafe food, and emerging health threats.

The hearing, titled *“Restoring Trust in the FDA: Rooting Out Illicit Products,”* comes amid growing public concern following the Trump Administration’s purge of federal employees at various health agencies. Ranking member **Suhas Subramanyam** (D-VA) condemned the recent mass firings, calling the moves “chaotic,” “dangerous,” and a direct threat to the health and safety of Americans. “These health cuts will kill people,” Subramanyam said bluntly in his opening statement. “They will make us less safe and less healthy.”

The congressman highlighted the dismissal of key FDA scientists and regulators responsible for vaccine oversight, counterfeit drug prevention, food safety, and the monitoring of deadly diseases like bird flu. Among those let go were experts who regulate e-cigarettes, monitor prescription drug side effects, and track drug shortages. “HHS secretary Kennedy admitted that 20% of last week’s purges should not have happened,” Subramanyam said. “But how long will it take them to realize the full extent of the mistakes they’ve made? And how many Americans will get sick or die in that time?”

Kessler told the hearing that FDA staff cuts of those working to ensure the safety of products entering the country’s supply chain would lead to more illicit and counterfeit products coming in. "Bad actors are frequently modifying their tactics to bring illicit products into the U.S.,” Kessler added. “And with fewer policy experts and support staff, the FDA’s ability to respond effectively is significantly reduced.”

Kessler also expressed grave concerns about the long-term impact on drug innovation and regulatory oversight because of the cuts at FDA. He cited the removal of CDER Office of New Drugs director **Peter Stein**, who played a key role in accelerating Covid-19 treatments, and the ouster of CBER director **Peter Marks**. “These firings will lead to less, not more, transparency,” Kessler said. “Ultimately, by creating chaos in the system, it will be American patients who suffer.”

He also warned that FDA’s ability to maintain timely product reviews — many funded by industry user fees — is now at risk. Cuts to staff managing those agreements could cause the FDA to miss legally required deadlines, triggering refunds and grinding review processes to a halt.