Summary:
Brad Smith, a startup founder, is the architect behind $67 billion in cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services
The cuts have sparked concerns over the future of U.S. medical research and disease prevention
Smith's role highlights the intersection of startup culture and government policy
Brad Smith is the little-known architect of $67 billion in cuts
June 2, 2025
Tara Bannow covers hospitals, providers, and insurers. You can reach Tara on Signal at tarabannow.70.
The relentless drumbeat of cuts to U.S. government research and disease prevention have devastated tens of thousands of affected workers and academics. To hear them tell it, today’s children and grandchildren will live shorter lives and the brightest scientists will flee the country.
There’s one man at the center of it all and, chances are, you haven’t even heard of him.
Brad Smith has been a leading figure within the Trump administration’s U.S. DOGE Service, directing its cost-cutting efforts at the Department of Health and Human Services, a vast agency whose charges include ensuring drugs are safe, preventing diseases from spreading, and administering health care for older, disabled, and low-income Americans.
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