Governor Brian Kemp has expressed support for recent federal job cuts, including the dismissal of nearly 1,300 employees at Atlanta’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
💬 The Quote: In an interview with Politico during the Munich Security Conference, Kemp stated, “I know they had some layoffs at the CDC and other things, but you know government can stand a little right-sizing.”
🔍 What’s Happening: The Trump administration has mandated the termination of approximately 1,300 probationary employees at the CDC, constituting about 10% of the agency’s workforce. This directive is part of a broader initiative to reduce federal government staffing.
👥 Who Made it Happen: The layoffs were ordered by the Trump administration and communicated to CDC leadership by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Kemp, reflecting on these cuts, said government needed right-sizing and pointed to the way Georgia’s state government has grown very little since 2008.
💡 Why It Matters: The CDC plays a crucial role in monitoring and responding to public health threats. The reduction of its workforce by 10% has raised some concerns about the agency’s capacity to manage future health crises effectively.
📍 Local Impact: As the CDC is headquartered in Atlanta, these layoffs directly affect the local community and the state economy.
🔗 Related Video: For more insights, you can watch Kemp’s comments on the recent CDC layoffs and other topics in their entirety in the video below.
About The Public Record: This article is part of an ongoing series highlighting statements by public officials called The Public Record, where we present recent quotes and actions of public officials or candidates. You may not be able to attend every public meeting or see every occasion where your representatives speak, but you still have a right to know what your representatives and those who hope to represent you have been saying.
“Because public men and women are amenable ‘at all times’ to the people, they must conduct the public’s business out in the open.” -Charles L. Weltner Sr., former Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
