Trump 2.0’s Health Policy Playbook: Terminate or Overhaul Scientific Advisory Committees
Summary
Each year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) convenes hundreds of public advisory committee meetings in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972.[1] Of the approximately 1,000 advisory committees across the federal government at the beginning of 2025, there were 273 committees at HHS and its agencies, including 33 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committees. Public Citizen’s Health Research Group frequently provides skilled, consumer-focused testimony during the public hearings at FDA advisory committee meetings.
As part of the assault on science under the second Trump administration,[2],[3],[4] many HHS scientific advisory committees have been terminated or overhauled. In 2025 HHS terminated 75 (about a quarter) of its advisory committees. Forty-nine of these committees were at the National Institutes of Health, nine at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and four at the FDA. Other committees, such as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at the CDC, were completely remade. Moreover, FDA advisory committees had considerably less activity in 2025 than in 2024. In 2024 FDA advisory committees had 41 meeting days across 20 committees. By comparison, in 2025 FDA advisory committees had 15 meeting days across nine committees, a 63% reduction in meeting days.
This report discusses the changes, many political and unprecedented, to HHS advisory committees during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, and the detrimental public health effects of these changes.
Introduction
Each year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) convenes hundreds of public advisory committee meetings in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972.[5] Of the approximately 1,000 advisory committees across the federal government at the beginning of 2025, there were 273 committees at HHS and its agencies. FACA codifies how those committees should be chartered and constituted and how meetings should be conducted, including how the conflicts of interest of committee members should be addressed.[6],[7] Public Citizen’s Health Research Group frequently provides skilled, consumer-focused testimony during the public hearings at Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee meetings.
As part of the assault on science under the second Trump administration,[8],[9],[10] many HHS scientific advisory committees have been terminated or overhauled. Even before Trump’s second term, however, the FDA was using its advisory committees less frequently. The FDA consulted its advisory committees for 55% of new drug approvals in 2010 and only 6% of new drug approvals in 2021, according to a 2022 study in Health Affairs.[11]
This report discusses the changes, many political and unprecedented, to HHS advisory committees during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term and the detrimental public health effects of these changes.
Methods
Public Citizen reviewed news media reports, Federal Register notices, and the FACA database, maintained by the General Services Administration.[12] We also reviewed FDA data on the agency’s advisory committees. The information summarized includes (1) committee name, (2) year established, (3) mission, and (4) stated reason, if any, a committee was terminated or remade. For HHS advisory committees other than FDA committees, data are presented for 2024 and 2025. For FDA advisory committees, data are presented for 2020 to 2025.
To quantify the use of FDA advisory committees, the FDA advisory committee calendar website was reviewed. The number of meeting days was tallied for each committee, not the number of meeting hours for each day.[13] For joint committee meetings, the days were entered for each of the participating committees. For example, if there was a joint, one-day meeting of the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee and the Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee, then one day was recorded for each committee.
During the research for this report, it was discovered that the FDA advisory committee calendar website did not include many advisory committee meetings that occurred between 2020 and 2023. Therefore, the websites for individual committees were reviewed to re-confirm those meetings. In one case, an annual report was reviewed to re-confirm a meeting of the National Center for Toxicological Research, Science Advisory Board.[14]
Findings
When Trump took office in January 2025, HHS had 273 advisory committees (Table 1), including 33 FDA advisory committees (Table 2). HHS had more advisory committees than any other federal agency. The Department of Agriculture had 133 advisory committees, the second highest number for a federal agency.
Table 1. Department of Health and Human Services Advisory Committees, excluding Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committees. Those marked with a “T*” were terminated in 2025. “-A*” marks committees that were administratively inactive.
| Advisory Committee Name (numbered and alphabetical) | Year Founded | HHS or Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect-A* | 1998 | HHS |
| 2. | Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation-A* | 2010 | HHS |
| 3. | Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health | 2000 | CDC |
| 4. | Advisory Board on the Demonstration of a Bundled Case-Mix Adjusted Payment System for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Services -A* | 2004 | CMS |
| 5. | Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines | 1988 | HRSA |
| 6. | AC for Injury Prevention and Control-A* | 1994 | HHS |
| 7. | AC for Women's Services | 1992 | SAMHSA |
| 8. | AC on Air Ambulance Quality and Patient Safety | 2003 | CMS |
| 9. | AC on Blood and Tissue Safety and Availability-T* | 1996 | HHS |
| 10. | AC on Breast Cancer in Young Women | 2010 | CDC |
| 11. | AC on Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing-A* | 2021 | CMS |
| 12. | AC on Human Research Protections-T* | 2003 | HHS |
| 13. | AC on Immunization Practices | 1964 | CDC |
| 14. | AC on Infant and Maternal Mortality-T* | 1991 | HRSA |
| 15. | AC on Interdisciplinary, Community-Based Linkages | 1998 | HRSA |
| 16. | AC on Minority Health | 1998 | OMH |
| 17. | AC on Organ Transplantation-T* | 2000 | HRSA |
| 18. | AC on Research on Women's Health | 1994 | NIH |
| 19. | AC on the Maternal, Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Evaluation-A* | 2011 | ACF |
| 20. | AC on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry-A* | 1998 | HRSA |
| 21. | AC on Voluntary Foreign Aid-T* | 1946 | USAID |
| 22. | AC to the Deputy Director for Intramural Research, NIH-T* | 2011 | NIH |
| 23. | AC to the Director, CDC | 1962 | CDC |
| 24. | Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis | 1990 | CDC |
| 25. | Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care, and Services | 2011 | ASPE |
| 26. | Advisory Council on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation | 2005 | HRSA |
| 27. | Advisory Council on Hazardous Substances Research and Training-A* | 1986 | NIH |
| 28. | Advisory Panel on Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Tests | 2015 | CMS |
| 29. | Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment | 1999 | CMS |
| 30. | Advisory Panel on Outreach and Education-T* | 1999 | HHS |
| 31. | Aging and Neurodegeneration Integrated Review Group | 2024 | NIH |
| 32. | AIDS Research AC, Nation Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases | 1988 | NIH |
| 33. | Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation Research Committee-T* | 1985 | HHS |
| 34. | Applied Immunology and Disease Control Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 35. | Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease Initial Rev Group-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 36. | Biobehavioral and Behavioral Processes Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 37. | Bioengineering Sciences & Technologies Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 38. | Biologic Chem and Macromolecular Biophysics Integrated Rev Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 39. | Biology of Development and Aging Integrated Review Group-T* | 1994 | NIH |
| 40. | Biomedical Informatics, Library and Data Sciences Review Com-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 41. | Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine | 1985 | NIH |
| 42. | BSC Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases-T* | 1962 | CDC |
| 43. | BSC E Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Develop | 1985 | NIH |
| 44. | BSC National Center for Health Statistics-T* | 2001 | CDC |
| 45. | BSC National Human Genome Research Institute | 1994 | NIH |
| 46. | BSC of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute | 1985 | NIH |
| 47. | BSC of the NIH Clinical Centerer | 1985 | NIH |
| 48. | BSC, Center for Preparedness and Response-T* | 2007 | CDC |
| 49. | BSC, Division of Translational Toxicology | 2023 | NIH |
| 50. | BSC, National Cancer Institute | 1985 | NIH |
| 51. | BSC, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health | 1985 | NIH |
| 52. | BSC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control-A* | 1993 | CDC |
| 53. | BSC, National Eye Institute | 1985 | NIH |
| 54. | BSC, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-T* | 1983 | CDC |
| 55. | BSC, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases | 1985 | NIH |
| 56. | BSC, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering | 2008 | NIH |
| 57. | BSC, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research | 1985 | NIH |
| 58. | BSC, National Inst of Diabetes and Digest and Kidney Diseases | 1985 | NIH |
| 59. | BSC, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | 1985 | NIH |
| 60. | BSC, National Institute of Mental Health | 1987 | NIH |
| 61. | BSC, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke | 1985 | NIH |
| 62. | BSC, National Institute on Aging | 1985 | NIH |
| 63. | BSC, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism | 1987 | NIH |
| 64. | BSC, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders | 1985 | NIH |
| 65. | BSC, National Institute on Drug Abuse | 1980 | NIH |
| 66. | BSC, National Institute on Minority Health and Dispar and National Institute of Nursing Research | 2024 | NIH |
| 67. | BSC, National Library of Medicine | 1985 | NIH |
| 68. | Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 69. | Cardiovascular and Respiratory Sciences Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 70. | CDC, HRSA AC on HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Prevention and Treatment-T* | 2002 | CDC |
| 71. | Cell Biology Integrated Review Group | 1985 | NIH |
| 72. | Center for Inherited Disease Research Access Committee-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 73. | Center for Mental Health Services National Advisory Council | 1992 | SAMHSA |
| 74. | Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel | 1985 | NIH |
| 75. | Center for Substance Abuse Prevention Drug Testing Advisory Board-T* | 1986 | SAMHSA |
| 76. | Center for Substance Abuse Prevention National Advisory Council | 1992 | SAMHSA |
| 77. | Clinical Laboratory Improvement AC-T* | 1992 | CDC |
| 78. | Communication Disorders Review Committee-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 79. | Community Living Assistance Services and Supports CLASS Independ Advisory Council-A* | 2010 | HHS |
| 80. | Council of Councils | 2007 | NIH |
| 81. | Council on Graduate Medical Education | 1986 | HRSA |
| 82. | Cures Acceleration Network Review Board | 2012 | NIH |
| 83. | Dietary Guidelines AC-T* | 2013 | HHS |
| 84. | Digestive, Kidney and Urological Systems Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 85. | Disability, Independent Living and Rehab Research Advisory Council-A* | 2014 | HHS |
| 86. | Disease, Disability, and Injury Prevention and Control Special Emphasis Panel -T* | 1994 | CDC |
| 87. | Division of Intramural Research BSC National Institute of Allergy and Infect Diseases | 1985 | NIH |
| 88. | Emerging Technology and Training Neurosciences Integrated Review Group | 2010 | NIH |
| 89. | Endocrinology, Metabolism, Nutrition and Reproductive Sciences Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 90. | End-Stage Renal Disease Data AC, Health Care Financing Administration, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases | 1990 | NIH |
| 91. | Environmental Health Sciences Review Committee-T* | 1995 | NIH |
| 92. | Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Initial Review Group -T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 93. | Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Special Emphasis Panel -T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 94. | Federal Council on Aging-A* | 1973 | HHS |
| 95. | Federal Hospital Council-A* | 1946 | HHS |
| 96. | Fogarty International Center Advisory Board | 1962 | NIH |
| 97. | Frederick National Lab AC to the National Cancer Institute-T* | 2011 | NIH |
| 98. | Genes, Genomes, and Genetics Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 99. | Health Care Policy and Research Special Emphasis Panel | 1993 | AHRQ |
| 100. | Health Equity AC-T* | 2024 | CMS |
| 101. | Health Information Technology AC | 2017 | HHS |
| 102. | Health Services Research Initial Review Group | 1989 | AHRQ |
| 103. | Healthcare Delivery and Methodologies Integrated Review Group | 1985 | NIH |
| 104. | Healthcare Infection Control Practices AC-T* | 1991 | CDC |
| 105. | Heart, Lung, and Blood Initial Review Group-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 106. | Infectious Diseases and Immunology A Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 107. | Infectious Diseases and Immunology B Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 108. | Integrative, Functional and Cognitive Neurosciences Integrated Rev Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 109. | Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee | 2007 | HHS |
| 110. | Interagency Breast Cancer and Environ Research Coord Comm-A* | 2009 | NIH |
| 111. | Interagency Committee on Smoking and Health-T* | 1984 | CDC |
| 112. | Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee | 2010 | NIH |
| 113. | Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee-A* | 2017 | SAMHSA |
| 114. | Interdepartmental Substance Use Dis Coord Committee-T* | 2019 | SAMHSA |
| 115. | Interdisciplinary Molecular Sciences and Training Integrated Rev Group | 2009 | NIH |
| 116. | Lead Exposure and Prevention AC | 2018 | CDC |
| 117. | Literature Selection Technical Review Committee-T* | 1991 | NIH |
| 118. | Malaria Vaccine Scientific Advisory Council-T* | 1997 | USAID |
| 119. | Medicare Advisory Panel on Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Tests | 2015 | CMS |
| 120. | Medicare Economic Index Technical Advisory Panel-A* | 2012 | CMS |
| 121. | Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage AC | 1998 | CMS |
| 122. | Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and AIDS Initial Rev Group-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 123. | Mine Safety and Health Research AC | 1977 | CDC |
| 124. | Molecular, Cellular and Development Neurosciences Integrated Rev Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 125. | Muscular Dystrophy Coordinating Committee | 2001 | NIH |
| 126. | Musculoskeletal, Oral, and Skin Sciences Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 127. | National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Diseases Council | 1985 | NIH |
| 128. | National Advisory Board for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Dis-A* | 1985 | NIH |
| 129. | National Advisory Board on Medical Rehabilitation Research | 1990 | NIH |
| 130. | National Advisory Child Health and Human Development Council | 1985 | NIH |
| 131. | National AC on Children and Disasters | 2013 | ASPR |
| 132. | National AC on Individuals with Disabilities and Disasters-A* | 2021 | ASPR |
| 133. | National AC on Rural Health and Human Services-T* | 1987 | HRSA |
| 134. | National AC on Seniors and Disasters-A* | 2021 | ASPR |
| 135. | National AC on the Trafficking of Children and Youth in the US | 2024 | ACF |
| 136. | National Advisory Council for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering | 2000 | NIH |
| 137. | National Advisory Council for Complementary and Integrative Health | 1985 | NIH |
| 138. | National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality | 1989 | AHRQ |
| 139. | National Advisory Council for Human Genome Research | 1962 | NIH |
| 140. | National Advisory Council for Nursing Research | 1985 | NIH |
| 141. | National Advisory Council on Aging | 1985 | NIH |
| 142. | National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism | 1970 | NIH |
| 143. | National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse | 1986 | NIH |
| 144. | National Advisory Council on Migrant Health | 1975 | HRSA |
| 145. | National Advisory Council on Minority Health and Health Disparities | 2000 | NIH |
| 146. | National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice | 1964 | HRSA |
| 147. | National Advisory Council on the National Health Service Corps | 1977 | HRSA |
| 148. | National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council | 1985 | NIH |
| 149. | National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council | 1985 | NIH |
| 150. | National Advisory Eye Council | 1985 | NIH |
| 151. | National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council | 1985 | NIH |
| 152. | National Advisory Mental Health Council | 1946 | NIH |
| 153. | National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke Council | 1985 | NIH |
| 154. | National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Advisory Council | 1985 | NIH |
| 155. | National Asthma Education Prevention Program Coord Committee | 2015 | NIH |
| 156. | National Biodefense Science Board (Preparedness and Response) | 2007 | ASPR |
| 157. | National Cancer Advisory Board | 1985 | NIH |
| 158. | National Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Advisors-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 159. | National Cancer Inst Clinical Trials and Translational Res AC | 1985 | NIH |
| 160. | National Cancer Institute Council of Research Advocates | 1998 | NIH |
| 161. | National Cancer Institute Initial Review Group-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 162. | National Cancer Institute Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 163. | National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Advisory Council | 2012 | NIH |
| 164. | National Center for Advancing Translation Sci Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 165. | National Center for Complement and Integrated Health Spec Emphasis Panel | 1985 | NIH |
| 166. | National Committee on Alcoholism and Other Alcohol-Related Probs-A* | 1980 | NIH |
| 167. | National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics | 1974 | CDC |
| 168. | National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Advisory Board-A* | 1989 | NIH |
| 169. | National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Advisory Council | 1988 | NIH |
| 170. | National Diabetes Advisory Board-A* | 1985 | NIH |
| 171. | National Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Advisory Council | 1985 | NIH |
| 172. | National Digestive Diseases Advisory Board-A* | 1985 | NIH |
| 173. | National Eye Institute Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 174. | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council | 1985 | NIH |
| 175. | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 176. | National Human Genome Research Institute Initial Review Group-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 177. | National Human Genome Research Institute Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 178. | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1994 | NIH |
| 179. | National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1995 | NIH |
| 180. | National Institute of Biomed Imaging and Bioengineering Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 181. | National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1994 | NIH |
| 182. | National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Special Grants Review Committee-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 183. | National Institute of Diabetes and Digest and Kidney Disease Initial Review Group-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 184. | National Institute of Diabetes and Digest and Kidney Diseases Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1995 | NIH |
| 185. | National Institute of Environment Health Sciences Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1989 | NIH |
| 186. | National Institute of General Medical Sciences Initial Review Group-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 187. | National Institute of General Medical Sciences Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1994 | NIH |
| 188. | National Institute of Mental Health Initial Review Group-T* | 1994 | NIH |
| 189. | National Institute of Mental Health Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1994 | NIH |
| 190. | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Initial Review Group-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 191. | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 192. | National Institute of Nursing Research Initial Review Group-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 193. | National Institute of Nursing Research Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1995 | NIH |
| 194. | National Institute on Aging Initial Review Group-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 195. | National Institute on Aging Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 196. | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Initial Review Group-T* | 1986 | NIH |
| 197. | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1986 | NIH |
| 198. | National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Dis Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1993 | NIH |
| 199. | National Institute on Drug Abuse Initial Review Group-T* | 1986 | NIH |
| 200. | National Institute on Drug Abuse Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1986 | NIH |
| 201. | National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 202. | National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Advisory Board-A* | 1985 | NIH |
| 203. | National Library of Medicine Special Emphasis Panel-T* | 1995 | NIH |
| 204. | National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity | 1962 | NIH |
| 205. | National Toxicology Program BSC | 1978 | NIH |
| 206. | National Toxicology Program Special Emphasis Panel | 1997 | NIH |
| 207. | National Vaccine AC | 1986 | HHS |
| 208. | Neurological Sciences Training Initial Review Group-T* | 1985 | NIH |
| 209. | NIH AC to the Director | 1966 | NIH |
| 210. | NIH Center for Scientific Review Advisory Council-T* | 1988 | NIH |
| 211. | NIH Clinical Center Research Hospital Board | 2016 | NIH |
| 212. | Novel and Exceptional Technology and Research AC-T* | 1974 | NIH |
| 213. | Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council | 1994 | NIH |
| 214. | Office of Research Infrastructure Programs Special Emphasis Panel | 1985 | NIH |
| 215. | Oncology 1-Basic Translational Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 216. | Oncology 2-Translational Clinical Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 217. | Personal Care Attendants Workforce Advisory Panel-A* | 2010 | HHS |
| 218. | Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical AC | 2016 | ASPE |
| 219. | Population Sciences and Epidemiology Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 220. | Practicing Physicians Advisory Council-A* | 2009 | CMS |
| 221. | President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition | 1956 | HHS |
| 222. | Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria | 2015 | HHS |
| 223. | Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS | 1995 | HHS |
| 224. | President's AC on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders-T* | 2021 | HHS |
| 225. | President's Cancer Panel | 1985 | NIH |
| 226. | President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities | 1966 | ACL |
| 227. | Risk, Prevention and Health Behavior Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 228. | Safety and Occupational Health Study Section-T* | 1960 | CDC |
| 229. | Scientific AC on Alternative Toxicological Methods | 2000 | NIH |
| 230. | Science and Technology Review Board on Biomed and Behavioral Research Facilities | 1994 | NIH |
| 231. | Scientific Management Review Board | 2007 | NIH |
| 232. | Secretary's AC on Long Covid-T* | 2023 | HHS |
| 233. | Secretary's AC on Human Research Protections-T* | 2002 | HHS |
| 234. | Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board | 1993 | NIH |
| 235. | Substance Abuse and Mental Health Serv Admin Nation Advisory Council | 1992 | SAMHSA |
| 236. | Surgical Science, Biomed Imaging and Bioengineer Integrated Rev Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 237. | Task Force on Aging Research-A* | 1990 | NIH |
| 238. | U.S. Preventive Services Task Force | 1984 | AHRQ |
| 239. | Vaccine Research Center BSC National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases | 1994 | NIH |
| 240. | Vascular and Hematology Integrated Review Group | 1994 | NIH |
| 241. | World Trade Center Health Program Scientific Technical AC | 2011 | CDC |
| Abbreviations: AC=Advisory Committee, ACL= Administration of Community Living, AHRQ=Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, ASPE=Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, ASPR=Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response, BSC=Board of Scientific Counselors, CDC=Centerers for Disease Control and Prevention, CMS=Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS=Health and Human Services, HRSA=Health Resources & Services Administration, NIH=National Institutes of Health, SAMHSA=Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, OMH=Office of Minority Health, ACF=Administration for Children and Families, USAID=United States Agency for International Development (not HHS) | |||
Table 2. Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committees
| Meeting count** (by year) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Year Founded | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
| 1. | Allergenic Products AC | 1984 | 1† | T* | ||||
| 2. | Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products AC | 1990 | 2† | 1 | ||||
| 3. | Antimicrobial Drugs AC | 1990 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 4. | Arthritis AC | 1990 | T* | |||||
| 5. | Blood Products AC | 1990 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 6. | Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs AC | 1990 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 7. | Cellular, Tissue, and Gene Therapies AC | 1990 | 5† | 3 | 1 | |||
| 8. | Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drugs AC | 1990 | 1† | |||||
| 9. | Device Good Manufacturing Practices AC | 1976 | 1 | |||||
| 10. | Digital Health AC | 2023 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 11. | Drug Safety and Risk Management AC | 1990 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 12. | Endocrinology and Metabolic Drugs AC | 1990 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| 13. | Gastrointestinal Drugs AC | 1990 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 14. | Genetic Metabolic Diseases AC | 2023 | 1 | |||||
| 15. | Medical Devices AC | 1976 | 4 | 9 | 6† | 7† | 6 | 3 |
| 16. | Medical Imaging Drugs AC | 1990 | 1 | 1 | T* | |||
| 17. | National Mammography Quality Assurance AC | 1993 | ||||||
| 18. | Nonprescription Drugs AC | 1990 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 19. | Obstetrics, Reproductive and Urologic Drugs AC | 1990 | 3† | 2 | ||||
| 20. | Oncologic Drugs AC | 1990 | 7 | 5 | 3 | |||
| 21. | Patient Engagement AC | 2015 | 1 | 1 | 1 | T* | ||
| 22. | Pediatric AC | 2003 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||
| 23. | Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs AC | 1990 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 24. | Pharmaceutical Science and Clinical Pharmacology AC | 1990 | 2† | T* | ||||
| 25. | Pharmacy Compound AC | 1998 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 26. | Psychopharmacologic Drugs AC | 1990 | 1 | 3 | 1 | |||
| 27. | Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs AC | 1990 | 2† | 1 | ||||
| 28. | Risk Communication AC | 2009 | A* | |||||
| 29. | Science Board to the FDA | 1992 | 1 | |||||
| 30. | Technical Electronic Product Radiation Safety Standards Committee | 1968 | ||||||
| 31. | Tobacco Products Scientific AC | 2009 | 1† | 1† | 1 | 1 | ||
| 32. | Toxicological Research, Science Advisory Board to the National Center for Toxicological Research | 1973 | 2† | 2 | 2 | 2 | T* | |
| 33. | Vaccine and Related Biological Product AC | 1979 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| Totals | - | 11 | 20 | 30 | 46 | 41 | 15 | |
| AC=Advisory Committee | ||||||||
| T*= terminating in that year; no meetings recorded; bold committees highlight 2025 terminations. | ||||||||
| A*= Committee designated as “administratively inactive.” | ||||||||
| **Days of meetings recorded in FDA’s Advisory Committee Calendar at https://www.fda.gov/advisory-committees/advisory-committee-calendar; joint meetings counted for each committee involved. | ||||||||
| † These entries were confirmed with additional sources (see Methods). | ||||||||
In 2025 HHS terminated 75 (27%) of its advisory committees. Of the terminated committees, 49 (65%) were at the NIH; most of these committees scientifically evaluated grant applications and prioritized them for funding. The NIH also dismissed all the members of the Advisory Committee to the Director, a high-level steering committee.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) terminated nine committees and entirely overhauled one committee, replacing all its members. The FDA terminated four advisory committees, and its advisory committees met less frequently in 2025 than in 2024.
In 2024 FDA advisory committees had 41 meeting days across 20 committees. By comparison, in 2025 FDA had 15 advisory committee meeting days across nine committees, a 63% reduction in meeting days that was like the 11 meeting days for advisory committees in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Table 2).
Between 2020 and 2025, FDA advisory committees were most active in 2023 as the country emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic: in 2023 there were 46 meeting days across 20 committees. Only two FDA advisory committees met each year from 2020 to 2025: the Medical Devices Advisory Committee and the Vaccine and Related Biologics Advisory Committee. The Medical Devices Advisory Committee had more than a dozen subcommittees for various types of medical devices (for example, surgical, radiological, orthopedic, and dental devices). Notably, these statistics on FDA advisory committee meetings are similar to those reported in a March 2026 STAT News article.[15]
These are highlights of specific (by name) HHS advisory committees that have been terminated or overhauled:
Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines
In January 2026 HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., dismissed without cause at least four of the nine members of the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines (ACCV) under the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA).[16] Established in 1998, the ACCV offers advice to the HHS secretary about the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. There are concerns that Kennedy, a frequent critic of the compensation program, will make changes that will undermine and perhaps bankrupt the long-standing no-fault vaccine injury compensation system, such as adding — without scientific evidence — autistic spectrum disorders to the list of conditions for compensation.[17]
Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children
In April 2025 Kennedy terminated the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (ACHDNC), also in HRSA. [18] The ACHDNC was established in 2000 to provide states with a list of inherited genetic diseases (for example, phenylketonuria, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, hearing loss, and spinal muscular atrophy) that warrant newborn screening for early detection and treatment. Although the stated reason was to reduce the size of the federal government in accordance with Trump’s executive order, no scientific reason was given to terminate the committee.
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
In 2025 Kennedy also dismissed all the members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) under the CDC and mostly replaced them with individuals who were anti-vaccination ideologues, scientifically unqualified, or both.[19] Established in 1964, the ACIP has provided authoritative federal vaccine guidance and recommendations. After the previous members were fired, the ACIP met three times in 2025; the meetings were chaotic and dysfunctional, and the committee made recommendations that were often political and dangerous to public health.[20],[21] By unilaterally replacing all the ACIP members for no defensible reason, Kennedy discredited the committee’s work.
Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Care and Services
In October 2025 the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services, under the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation within HHS, was “hobbled” by administrative neglect and all but one of the council’s members had been dismissed, according to STAT News.[22] Established in 2011, the reason for the council’s termination is unclear. Meetings scheduled for April and September 2025 never occurred despite ongoing subcommittee activity.
In January 2026 Kennedy appointed a new chair and 10 new members. The new chair, the Secretary of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, and many of the other new members are from Florida. One of the new members is a woman with Alzheimer’s disease, who “participated for two years in the successful [a]ducanumab (ADUHELM) clinical trial,” according to the HHS news release.[23] In 2024, aducanumab was withdrawn from the U.S. market because of safety and effectiveness concerns.[24]
Health Equity Advisory Committee
In February 2025 Trump issued an executive order terminating the Health Equity Advisory Committee (HEAC) under HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).[25] Although established by President Joe Biden in a 2020 executive order, the committee was never fully formed or convened. The HEAC was created to address health disparities in underserved communities, including disparities involving race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and geography, such as rural or impoverished areas. For example, the committee, if convened, might have advanced strategies to address the high diabetes burden of Black, Latinx, and indigenous populations across the United States.
Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee
The CDC’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) was terminated on March 31, 2025.[26] Founded in 1991, HICPAC issued 540 infection prevention recommendations, 90% of which were incorporated into CDC guidelines. Examples are recommendations about hand washing and surgical hygiene, dialysis safety, and patient isolation procedures. Use of such guidelines have reduced healthcare-associated transmissions. In a JAMA viewpoint article, four former members of HICPAC wrote: “…the termination of this advisory group…threatens to erode more than 3 decades of progress…marks a profound loss…(and) impedes the ability of all health care professionals to ‘do no harm.’” There was no scientific reason to terminate the committee.
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
Established in 2007, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) coordinates autism-related activities across federal agencies. The committee monitors progress and research into the causes, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder and is required to report regularly to the HHS Secretary, Congress, and the President. [27]
Terms for prior IACC members expired in March 2025; the committee met only once in 2025 despite the charter requirement that it meet twice per year.
In January 2026 HHS appointed 21 new members to the IACC. [28] At least eight of the 21 new appointees support the debunked theory that vaccines cause autism, according to STAT News. [29] Experts in the field of autism, including Helen Tager-Flusberg, a former committee member and director of an autism Center at Boston University, and Joshua Gordon, the former head of the National Institute of Mental Health, have raised concerns about whether the revamped committee can be trusted.[30] Gordon, who headed the committee from 2016 to 2024, was very critical: “Much like the vaccine advisory panels, which [promote] improper false information, the American people are going to be lied to by the IACC under the wrong leadership.” Tager-Flusberg said, “if we are going to have public members and maybe even federal members who are going to distort the science, I think we are far better off not having the IACC at all.”[31]
National Advisory Committee on Rural Health & Human Services
The National Advisory Committee on Rural Health & Human Services (NACRHHS), in HRSA, was terminated in April 2025.[32] The committee was created in 1987 to provide “reports or policy briefs on key rural health and human services topics and present these reports to the [HHS Secretary].” This information has brought attention to important rural health issues. It is uncertain why the NACRHHS was terminated. As compared with more populated areas, people living in rural areas often have limited health care access and worse health outcomes.[33]
NIH Advisory Committee to the Director
In June 2025, Dr. Jay Battacharya, the NIH Director, dismissed all the members of its Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD).[34] Many members were dismissed in the middle of their seven-year terms. It is not clear why these dismissals occurred. As of February 2026 no replacement members had been announced.
NIH Center for Scientific Review Advisory Council
In April 2025 Kennedy issued a directive terminating the NIH Center for Scientific Review Advisory Council (CSRAC).[35] Established in 1988, CSRAC provided high-level strategic guidance on the NIH peer review system, incorporating broad scientific and public considerations. CSRAC was not involved in the peer review of individual grants; instead the council advised NIH leaders about how to allocate research funds. Although the council may have been terminated to allow political appointees at HHS to gain more control over the federal biomedical research portfolio, the specific reasons that CSRAC was terminated are not known. In 2025 the Trump administration slashed NIH extramural funding, especially for projects and institutions judged to be too “woke” or “liberal,” even though these projects had been systematically graded and prioritized by CSRAC and other expert reviewers.[36],[37],[38],[39]
Novel and Exceptional Technology and Research Advisory Committee
The Novel and Exceptional Technology and Research Advisory Committee (NExTRAC) at the NIH was terminated in June 2025.[40] Established in 1975 as the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee, the committee transitioned to the NExTRAC in 2019; it was a public forum for discussion of scientific, safety, and ethical issues related to emerging biotechnologies. HHS terminated the NExTRAC as a cost cutting measure, according to an entry in the FACA database. At the committee’s final meeting Bhattacharya told the committee that its erasure “does not represent a diminished commitment by me to seek advice in challenging the status quo.”[41] A former member disagreed, according to STAT News, stating that this action is one of many showing that the new administration is “closing our eyes to the (technological) future.”[42]
Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Long COVID
The HHS Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Long COVID was terminated in 2025.[43] The committee was established in 2023 to make recommendations about the research, prevention, and treatment of long COVID. The Presidential Executive Order terminating the committee said that the reason was to “curb government waste.” It is otherwise unclear why this committee was terminated, although Kennedy’s vitriolic criticism of mRNA vaccines and the broader public health response to COVID-19 may have played a role.[44],[45] In September 2025 Kennedy convened two roundtables on long COVID, one centered on patient experience and one on research. Kennedy also announced plans to improve care. Details were lacking, and the new efforts may not be meaningful.[46]
United States Preventive Services Task Force
As of March 2026 the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has had no in-person meetings since March 2025 and had not issued its 2025 annual report to Congress (the 2024 annual report was issued in November 2024). In prior years, the USPSTF met in March, July, and November.[47]
Established in 1984 and convened by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) since 1998 as authorized by Congress, the USPSTF describes itself as a “scientifically independent, volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine.”[48] The USPSTF develops, publishes, and updates recommendations about preventive services. The task force assigns each recommendation a letter grade (A, B, C, D, or I for “Insufficient evidence”). In 2025 the USPSTF published recommendations on intimate partner violence, syphilis infection during pregnancy, breastfeeding interventions, food insecurity, and osteoporosis fracture prevention. In October 2025 it was reported that Kennedy planned to dismiss all 16 members of the USPSTF because they are too “woke.” Several of the members were specifically criticized for valuing health equity principles including special safeguards for LGBTQ+ and racial-minority communities.[49] As of March 2026 no changes to the members had been made.
FDA advisory committees
As of January 2025 the FDA had 33 advisory committees (Table 2) that advised the agency on drugs, medical devices, digital health technologies, tobacco products, food, radiation safety, risk communication, patient engagement, and other matters. For many years the committees have been an essential part of the agency’s premarket review of novel drugs and other medical products, shedding light on products that raise important safety issues or are otherwise controversial.
During 2025 the Trump administration terminated four FDA advisory committees: The Arthritis Advisory Committee, established in 1974; the Medical Imaging Drugs Advisory Committee, established in 1990; the Pharmaceutical Science and Clinical Pharmacology Advisory Committee, established in 1990; and the Patient Engagement Advisory Committee, established in 2015 and focused on medical devices, not drugs.
The termination of the Arthritis Advisory Committee was announced in August 2025 in a Federal Register notice.[50] Although the notice said that the committee had met infrequently in recent years, arthritis and related conditions are a leading cause of disability and pain, affecting an estimated 20% of adults in the United States.[51] For the termination of the Patient Engagement Advisory Committee, the executive order to reduce the scope of the federal government was cited. From the FACA database, it is unclear why the other FDA advisory committees were terminated.
In 2024, under the Biden administration, two FDA advisory committees were terminated (Table 2). In addition, the Risk Communication Advisory Committee, established in 2009, was listed as “administratively inactive” because the agency recommended its termination. The termination of this committee, however, requires Congressional approval.[52]
In 2025 and the first months of 2026, the downward trend in FDA advisory committee activity was accompanied by an increased use of so-called “expert” panels, which do not operate in compliance with FACA (Table 3). These roundtable discussions are convened by the FDA; as of February 2026 there had been six panels, about food allergies, testosterone replacement therapy for men, and other topics.
Table 3. Food and Drug Administration “Expert Panels”
| Subject | Date |
|---|---|
| Talc | May 20, 2025 |
| Infant formula | June 4, 2025 |
| Menopause and hormone replacement therapy for women | July 17, 2025 |
| Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and pregnancy | July 21, 2025 |
| Testosterone replacement therapy for men | December 10, 2025 |
| Food allergies | February 25, 2026 |
| Source: https://www.fda.gov/patients/fda-expert-panels | |
For the panel on menopause and hormone replacement therapy for women, each member gave a short presentation followed by discussion among the panelists and a closed session. Members of the public were not allowed to testify. Background materials were not available to the public and no conflict-of-interest statements were recorded for the panel members. The criteria for their selection: “A group of experts appeared to be chosen because they wanted the box warnings [on menopausal hormone labels] removed.”[53] Subsequently, the FDA removed most of the box warnings for estrogen products.[54] Outside experts have criticized these panels as “rife with financial conflicts and fringe views,” “predetermined,” “alarmingly unbalanced,” and “a retreat from transparency, scientific rigor, and public accountability.”[55],[56]
Additional HHS advisory committee terminations
Additional HHS advisory committees were terminated in 2025. The reasons are uncertain, beyond reducing the size of the federal government. These committees included:
- Environmental Health Sciences Review Committee, at the NIH, established in 1995.[57]
- Center for Substance Abuse Prevention Drug Testing Advisory Board, at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This board was established in 1986.
- Interdepartmental Substance Use Disorder Coordinating Committee, also at SAMHSA, established in 2019.
- Safety and Occupational Health Study Section, at the CDC, established in 1960.
Other advisory committee developments
In August 2025 Lawrence Gostin, a distinguished Georgetown Law professor and a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s dismantling of international humanitarian programs, was dismissed from the Advisory Board to the NIH’s Fogarty International Center.[58],[59],[60] The Fogarty International Center was established in 1968 to support global health research and scientists working internationally. Gostin said that “political orthodoxy rather than…science and evidence” led to his dismissal.
In August 2025 the Trump Administration established the Healthcare Advisory Committee at the CMS, according to a Federal Register notice.[61] According to an HHS press release, the committee is expected to focus on chronic disease prevention and management, regulatory “red tape,” rapid (insurance) claims processing and quality measurement, improved quality of care for “the most vulnerable,” and the “sustainability of the Medicare Advantage program.”[62] As of February 2026 the status of the Healthcare Advisory Committee was uncertain; there is no record of the committee having met.
Discussion
In 2025, the first year of the second Trump administration, there were numerous and jarring changes to federal health advisory committees. Of 375 committees at HHS, at least 75 were terminated, including 49 at the NIH alone. Additionally, other key public health committees were overhauled or undermined by the views of Kennedy, the HHS secretary, and other Trump administration officials. FDA advisory committees met less frequently, if at all. In response, the Union of Concerned Scientists developed and disseminated a framework for the creation of independent expert committees as a trustworthy alternative to the advisory committee dysfunction at HHS.[63] In parallel, the Vaccine Integrity Project at the University of Minnesota, working in conjunction with the American Medical Association, intensified their leadership in support of informed vaccine choices by “providing trusted, science based information.”[64]
On March 3, 2026, a group of autism researchers and advocates formed an independent, nongovernmental autism advisory committee as a scholarly firewall against the anticipated misinformation from the overhauled federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC).[65] Days later, the HHS cancelled the first meeting of their overhauled IACC, without explanation.[66] The independent group is still scheduled to meet on that same day (March 19, 2026).
Advisory committee terminations at the NIH have largely affected the independent expert panels that review, grade, and prioritize extramural research projects. As of June 2025, there were approximately 50,000 competitively awarded grants at 2,500 institutions that received $39 billion in annual federal support.[67] At a Senate hearing on February 3, 2026,[68] an exchange between Senator Patti Murray (D-WA) and Battacharya, the NIH director, highlighted the consequences of disrupting advisory committee activity at the NIH:
Senator Murray: This time last year all of the NIH institutes and centers were prohibited from holding advisory council meetings, which is the final step—mandated by law—before NIH can award any grants. Under your leadership, advisory council members have not been replaced at the end of their terms. And for the first time in NIH’s 139-year history, you completely disbanded the advisory committee to the director; it has not met in more than a year. More than half of NIH institutes are set to lose all their voting advisory committee members by the end of 2026…Tell us how many institute advisory councils and other review panels have been disbanded under your leadership and tell us how you are going to fix this?
NIH Director Battacharya: So, I’ve…ordered the institutes to…nominate new members. We’re working as fast as we can…It’s a priority of mine to make sure the councils are staffed. We’re going to have those FACA committees working, there will be no delay.
It remains to be seen whether the NIH will follow through on Battacharya’s promises to restore the advisory committees. Regardless, the NIH is unlikely to be able to reverse the damage in 2025 from the abrupt termination of awarded research grants, including nearly 400 active clinical trials, which had previously been vetted by NIH advisory committees.[69] As of March 2026 serious funding disruptions at the NIH persisted.[70]
The overhaul of the ACIP and the replacement of all its members have led to weakened recommendations for hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccination, and dangerous misinformation about other vaccines.[71],[72] Unless the committee changes course, which is unlikely, more damaging recommendations are likely in the months ahead.[73]
As of March 2026, the future of the USPSTF was uncertain. Although most of the members, appointed prior to the second Trump administration remain,[74] the committee has not met since March 2025 and has not issued recommendations since June 2025.[75] In November 2025 the USPSTF did not send its 2025 annual report to Congress, as anticipated.[76] There are continuing concerns that all the members would eventually be dismissed because of their interest in social determinants of health such as wealth, race, geography and gender.[77]
Limitations
This report provides a high-level review of HHS advisory committees during the first year of the second Trump administration. Reviews of committee composition and activities were limited in scope. The focus was on the basic structure and mission of those committees marked as “terminated” in the FACA database or those that were in news reports. For FDA advisory committees, the number of meeting days were recorded, but not the committee’s deliberations nor the effects of their advice.
Future work to better understand the effects on public health of terminating or changing federal scientific advisory committees should include (1) focused review of committee charters, composition, and schedules, and (2) an analysis of proceedings, recommendations, and reports, and the extent to which these influenced biomedical innovation under the purview of the HHS (for example, changes in the quantity and quality of NIH-funded research, the safety and effectiveness of FDA-approved medications, and federal resources dedicated to certain diseases categories [for example, dementia] and vulnerable population groups [for example, rural residents]).
Conclusions
During the first year of the second Trump administration, dozens of HHS scientific advisory committees were terminated or overhauled, undermining biomedical research, the long-standing processes for approval of new drugs and other medical products, federal vaccine policy, and other areas important to public health. Many of the consequences are likely to be long-lasting and difficult to reverse. By providing an overview of these changes, many political and unprecedented, Public Citizen hopes to raise awareness of the ongoing damage to our nation’s biomedical enterprise and overall health and catalyze consideration by Congress and others of a path forward.
References
[1] Tables 1 and 2 list all HHS advisory committees in the FACA database as of October 2025.
[2] Tollefson J. Grant cuts, arrests, lay-offs: Trump made 2025 a tumultuous year for science. Nature. December 15, 2025. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-04051-y. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[3] Broad WJ. Historians see autocratic playbook in Trump’s attacks on science. New York Times. August 31, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/31/science/trump-science-autocrats.html. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[4] Bhatia A, Fan A, Smith J, Hwang I. The U.S. is funding fewer grants in every area of science and medicine. New York Times. December 2, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/02/upshot/trump-science-funding-cuts.html. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[5] Tables 1 and 2 list all HHS advisory committees in the FACA database as of October 2025.
[6] General Services Administration. Data to decision. Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA): overview – Committee Count. https://d2d.gsa.gov/report/federal-advisory-committee-act-faca-data. Accessed November 18, 2025.
[7] Stuessy MM, Marchsteiner KE. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA): Overview and Considerations for Congress. March 26, 2024. Congressional Research Service. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47984. Accessed November 14, 2025.
[8] Tollefson J. Grant cuts, arrests, lay-offs: Trump made 2025 a tumultuous year for science. Nature. December 15, 2025. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-04051-y. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[9] Broad WJ. Historians see autocratic playbook in Trump’s attacks on science. New York Times. August 31, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/31/science/trump-science-autocrats.html. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[10] Bhatia A, Fan A, Smith J, Hwang I. The U.S. is funding fewer grants in every area of science and medicine. New York Times. December 2, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/02/upshot/trump-science-funding-cuts.html. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[11] Daval CJR, Sarpatwari A, Kesselheim AS. Unwanted Advice? Frequency, Characteristics, And Outcomes of Negative Advisory Committee Votes For FDA-Approved Drugs. Health Aff (Millwood). 2022 May;41(5):713-721.
[12] Government Services Administration. Federal Advisory Committee Act database. https://www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/s/. Accessed January 23, 2026.
[13] U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Advisory Committee Calendar. https://www.fda.gov/advisory-committees/advisory-committee-calendar. Accessed March 13, 2026.
[14] U.S. Food and Drug Administration. National Center for Toxicological Research 2020 Annual Report. https://fda.report/media/148670/FINAL+NCTR+Annual+Report+2020.pdf. Accessed March 13, 2026.
[15] Lawrence L. As controversial decisions mount, FDA shuns public advisory meetings. STAT. March 9, 2026. https://www.statnews.com/2026/03/09/fda-cuts-back-advisory-meetings-controversial-decisions-grow/. Accessed March 13, 2026.
[16] Cirruzzo C. RFK Jr. is moving to remake a little-known vaccine panel. It could have big consequences. STAT. January 20, 2026. https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/20/kennedy-fires-vaccine-injury-compensation-advisers-vicp-accv/. Accessed March 9, 2026.
[17] Ibid.
[18] Detzel A. Kennedy axes HHS committee advising states on genetic screening for newborns. MSNBC.com. April 17, 2025. https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/rfk-hhs-eliminates-committee-newborn-health-rcna201789. Accessed October 20,2025.
[19] Abrams MT. Commentary: CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is officially in crisis, spewing dangerous misinformation. July 3, 2025. https://www.citizen.org/article/commentary-cdcs-advisory-committee-on-immunization-practices-acip-is-officially-in-crisis-spewing-dangerous-misinformation/. Accessed November 14, 2025.
[20] Van Beusekom M. Quality of decisions made by CDC vaccine advisers has nose-dived, former voting members say. October 24, 2025. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/adult-non-flu-vaccines/quality-decisions-made-cdc-vaccine-advisers-has-nose-dived-former-voting. Accessed November 11, 2025.
[21] Mandavilli A. Panel votes to stop recommending hepatitis B shots at birth for most newborns. New York Times. December 5, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/health/kennedy-vaccine-committee-vote-hepatitisb.html. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[22] Ibid.
[23] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Secretary Kennedy appoints new chair and ten new members to federal Alzheimer’s advisory committee. January 29, 2026. https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-kennedy-appoints-new-chair-ten-members-federal-alzheimers-advisory-council.html. Accessed February 2026.
[24] Steinbrook R. Updates on new Alzheimer’s disease drugs. Public Citizen’s Health Letter. April 2024. https://www.citizen.org/article/updates-on-new-alzheimers-disease-drugs/. Accessed January 30, 2025.
[25] Becker A. Trump Disbands Health Equity Panel Examining Medicare and Medicaid. 19th News. February 25, 2025. https://stateline.org/2025/02/25/trump-disbands-health-equity-panel-examining-medicare-and-medicaid/. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[26] Talbot TR, Lin MY, Yokoe DS, Maragakis LL. Termination of a federal infection prevention Advisory committee: eroding health care safety. JAMA. 2025;334(5):389-390.
[27] General Services Administration. Data to decision. Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA): overview – Committee Count. https://d2d.gsa.gov/report/federal-advisory-committee-act-faca-data. Accessed November 18, 2025.
[28] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Secretary Kennedy appoints new interagency autism coordinating committee to advance fight against autism. January 28, 2026. https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-kennedy-appoints-new-interagency-autism-coordinating-committee.html. Accessed February 2, 2026.
[29] Rose Broderick O. Key autism committee is being reshaped to support Kennedy’s vaccine
agenda, researchers and advocates fear. STAT. January 23, 2026. https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/23/kennedy-autism-advisors-new-panel-members-selection-lacks-transparency/. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[30] Eunjung Cha A. RFK Jr. picks promoters of debunked vaccine-autism claims for key panel. The Washington Post. January 29, 2026. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/01/29/rfk-jr-autism-board-vaccine/. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[31] Rose Broderick O. Key autism committee is being reshaped to support Kennedy’s vaccine
agenda, researchers and advocates fear. STAT. January 23, 2026. https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/23/kennedy-autism-advisors-new-panel-members-selection-lacks-transparency/. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[32] General Services Administration. Federal Advisory Committee Act Database. Committee Entry: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Service. https://www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/s/FACACommittee/a10t0000001gzlNAAQ/com000129. Accessed November 16, 2025.
[33] Abrams MT. Letter to the AHRQ Director: immediately release the months-delayed National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report. August 18, 2025. https://www.citizen.org/article/letter-demands-immediate-release-of-months-delayed-2024-national-healthcare-quality-and-disparities-report/. Accessed November 11, 2025.
[34] Kaiser J. NIH Director is replacing his top outside advisory board. Science. July 10, 2025. https://www.science.org/content/article/nih-director-replacing-his-top-outside-advisory-board. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[35] Molteni M, Oza A. They advised federal health agencies on the ethics and impact of scientific research. They’re no longer wanted. STAT. October 7, 2025. https://www.statnews.com/2025/10/07/hhs-science-bioethics-advisory-committees-disbanded/. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[36] Dennison K. The impact on organizations post Trump’s DEI executive orders. Forbes. August 11, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/sites/karadennison/2025/08/11/the-impact-on-organizations-post-trumps-dei-executive-orders/. Accessed November 15, 2025.
[37] Casimir DL, Trump administration increases oversight of federal grants. The National Law Review. August 20, 2024. https://natlawreview.com/article/trump-administration-increases-oversight-federal-grants. Accessed November 16, 2025.
[38] Blake A. Trump’s 7 most authoritarian moves so far. CNN. August 13, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/13/politics/authoritarian-moves-trump-analysis. Accessed November 16, 2025.
[39] Bhatia A, Fan A, Jonah S, Hwang I. The U.S. is funding fewer grants in every area of science and medicine. New York Times. December 2, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/02/upshot/trump-science-funding-cuts.html. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[40] Molteni M, Oza A. The advised federal health agencies on the ethics and impact of scientific research. They’re no longer wanted. STAT. October 7, 2025. https://www.statnews.com/2025/10/07/hhs-science-bioethics-advisory-committees-disbanded/. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[41] Ibid.
[42] Ibid.
[43] Awan O. Trump administration terminates key health advisory committees, threating health equity. Forbes. February 25, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/sites/omerawan/2025/02/25/trump-administration-terminates-key-health-advisory-committees-threatening-health-equity/.
[44] Morgan G. Robert Kennedy Jr. vs. Dr. Anthony Fauci: a review. Medium. December 14, 2025. https://medium.com/@glynmorgan/robert-kennedy-jr-v-dr-anthony-fauci-a-review-c07ee205cde8. Accessed November 14, 2025.
[45] Kennedy, RF. Letter to liberals: censorship and COVID: an attack on science and American ideas. Children’s Health Defense. August 22, 2022.
[46] Ladyzhets B. It’s been a month. And we still don’t know much about Kenney’s long COVID consortium. The Sick Times. October 21, 2025. https://thesicktimes.org/2025/10/21/its-been-a-month-and-we-still-dont-know-much-about-kennedys-long-covid-consortium/. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[47] Weixel N. HHS again postpones meeting of preventive services coverage panel. The Hill. October 30, 2025. https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5581896-hhs-postpones-preventive-services-meeting/. Accessed February 11, 2026.
[48] U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. About the USPSTF. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/about-uspstf. Accessed November 18, 2025.
[49] Schemmel A. Doctors on key US health task force accused of prioritizing DEI over evidence-based medicine. Fox New. October 23, 2025. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/doctors-key-us-health-task-force-accused-prioritizing-dei-over-evidence-based-medicine?msockid=1c47f841fd95644b2723eee9fca56527. Accessed November 18, 2025.
[50] Federal Register. Arthritis Advisory Committee; Termination. 21 CFR Part 14 Volume 166 page 42134. August 29, 2025.
[51] Fallon EA, Boring MA, Foster AL, et al. Prevalence of Diagnosed Arthritis — United States, 2019–2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:1101–1107. Accessed December 18, 2025.
[52] Government Services Administration. Federal Advisory Committee Act database. Entry: HHS-31951-Risk Communication Advisory Committee-statutory (Congress created). https://www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/s/FACACommittee/a10t0000001gzx1AAA/com000846/. Accessed March 2, 2026.
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