The Trump administration is moving to lay off hundreds of federal scientists and researchers as part of major cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lawmakers warned on Tuesday.
The proposed firings stem from plans to eliminate the EPA’s scientific research arm, which employs over 1,500 people working on issues such as pollution, clean water, and climate change.
Documents reviewed by the US House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology indicate that most of these employees “will not be retained,” with only a few positions reassigned elsewhere in the agency.
These layoffs align with President Donald Trump’s broader goal of shrinking government spending, reducing the federal workforce, and rolling back environmental regulations.
The EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has already announced plans to cut around 65% of the agency’s 17,000-strong staff.
The EPA spokesperson Molly Vaseliou defended the restructuring, calling it part of “exciting steps” to improve efficiency.
However, the proposal has sparked fierce criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, the top Democrat on the House Science Committee, condemned the move, saying, “Last time around, Trump and his cronies politicised and distorted science… now, this is their attempt to kill it for good.”
Environmental groups also raised alarm over the decision. Chitra Kumar, a managing director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, warned that cutting EPA scientists would weaken oversight of pollution and hazardous chemicals.
“The administration knows, and history shows, that industry will not regulate itself,” she said.
