Jim Jones, the director of the Food and Drug Administration's food division, resigned on Monday. In his resignation letter, Mr. Jones cited "indiscriminate" layoffs that would make it "fruitless for him to continue." He estimated that 89 people of the 2,000 in his division were fired over the weekend, many of them freshly hired to do more in-depth work on chemical safety to protect the nation's food supply.
Mr. Jones wrote in the letter submitted to Sara Brenner, the acting commissioner of the F.D.A., "I was looking forward to working to pursue the department's agenda of improving the health of Americans by reducing diet-related chronic disease and risks from chemicals in food." However, he said the Trump administration's "disdain for the very people" who would do that work gave him no choice but to depart.
7 Comments
Africa
“Layoffs are never pleasant, but the FDA needs to streamline its operations. Perhaps these are the right cuts.”
Mariposa
While food safety is important, we can't ignore the need for fiscal responsibility within the FDA.
Comandante
This is a disgrace! These layoffs show that the Trump administration does not care about the health of the American people.
Muchacha
I hope the FDA can effectively address its challenges and continue to protect the public's health.
Africa
“It’s time to take action. We can’t allow the Trump administration to dismantle our food safety protections.”
Loubianka
“It’s encouraging to see someone with integrity like Jim Jones stand up for the public’s health. These layoffs are a huge setback for food safety.”
Barachiel
This is a clear attack on the FDA's ability to protect our food supply. The public needs to be aware of this.