CDC's 'Zombie Programs': Funded but Functionally Dead

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is facing a peculiar crisis: it has money for programs, but not the people to run them. Congress appropriated $41 million this year for an Alzheimer's disease initiative, yet no staff are working on it. Similarly, the Office on Smoking and Health received $246 million, but its staff has been cut.

These are among dozens of what some are calling 'zombie programs' — initiatives that appear alive in legislation and appropriations but are functionally dead because the experts who ran them were laid off or placed on paid leave.

The situation stems from mass layoffs at federal health agencies in April 2025, part of a broader government restructuring effort. While some cuts were reversed after legal challenges, many employees remain on administrative leave, paid but barred from working.

New CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz inherited this predicament. During her confirmation hearing, Senator Tim Kaine pressed her on restarting the smoking office's activities, asking if she would follow the law when Congress appropriates funds. Schwartz replied, "I will always follow the law."

The affected programs span a wide range of public health concerns: epilepsy tracking, sickle cell disease data collection, rape prevention, overdose prevention in tribal communities, and the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, which tracks maternal health outcomes.

Some grant processing continues, as most CDC funding flows to state and local programs. But the loss of seasoned experts means reduced research, less program evaluation, and a lack of national coordination.

Democratic lawmakers argue these cuts violate the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which requires the executive branch to spend appropriated funds. However, with Republicans controlling Congress, there's been little appetite to challenge the administration.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made chronic disease a priority and visited the CDC recently, telling employees, "My sole purpose is to allow you to do your jobs." He has announced plans to hire 12,000 workers, though union officials report little significant hiring has occurred so far.

Senator Jon Ossoff, who represents Georgia where the CDC is based, said legislators are watching whether Schwartz will administer the funded programs. "We will learn swiftly whether she intends to follow the law," he stated.