WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - The Lazy Susan: Firings at HHS and DOE

Episode Date: March 29, 2025

Lewis and Paden look into this week's streamlining efforts within the cabinet.

This is named Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. And this is The Lazy Susan. I'm Peyton Hughes. And I'm Lewis Thune. On The Lazy Susan, we highlight happenings in the cabinet on a weekly basis. So let's dive in. What's happening in the cabinet, Lewis? Lori Chavez-Dorimer is in as the Secretary of Labor,

passing her confirmation vote 67 to 32. But the emerging story from elsewhere this week is Department of Homeland Security. Secretary Christy Nome's PR tour touting the need for increased border security. She first appeared in Florida in front of a $500 million stash of illicit drugs intercepted by the United States Coast Guard, and then in El Salvador in front of Tren de Agua gang members deported and imprisoned in recent weeks. What's catching your eye this week, Peyton? Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making moves to significantly decrease the size of his department. On Monday, after the latest Trump cabinet meeting,

he announced that his next priority will be to cut redundancies in staffing to streamline department operations. He noted in a post on X that under the Biden administration, HHS's budget grew by 38 percent, and staffing increased by 17 percent, yet public health outcomes declined. On Thursday, Secretary Kennedy announced that he would be merging a large number of HHS sub-departments into what he will call the administration for a healthy America. In the coming weeks, Kennedy aims to make efficiency the primary concern. So change is afoot in health and human services. What else is going on, Lewis? Secretary of Education Linda McMahon made it clear this week that the Trump administration will keep a zero-tolerance policy for failure to comply with its dear colleague memo. A February 14th notice to taxpayer-funded universities that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in applications,

admissions, scholarships, classes, and more could potentially lose them their federal funding. McMahon and a multi-agency task force, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, are furthering their investigation of over 50 universities for failure to comply, Columbia University already having been stripped of $400 million in funding, all while McMahon assists President Trump in mass layoffs throughout her department. Latest reports indicate that up to half of the Department of Education has already been fired. Also of note as we approach a new week, Fallout continues from Defense Secretary Pete Hegeseth and Director of National

intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's Signal Group chat in which they discussed operations against military targets in the Middle East, unknowingly doing so in a channel that included editor of the Atlantic Jeffrey Goldberg. We'll cover more in an upcoming special episode. And that's where we'll leave off for this episode of The Lazy Susan. I'm Louis Thune. And I'm Payton Hughes. We'll see you next time.