Trump Freezes FDA Hiring, Temporarily Halts New FDA Regulations

On the administration’s first full workday, President Donald Trump froze federal hiring for most agencies, leaving the FDA with more than 500 job vacancies out of its workforce of 15,000.

While a common move in the first days of any new administration, this freeze puts the agency at odds with the 21st Century Cures Act to accelerate hiring and authorizing the FDA to spend up to $20 million in fiscal 2017. The length of Trump’s hiring freeze is uncertain.

The White House also ordered the FDA and other federal agencies to halt any new regulations or guidances until they can be reviewed by Trump administration appointees. It also temporarily postpones regulations that were published before Jan. 20 but did not take effect immediately.