FDA Commissioner insists trains running on time among food inspectors after layoffs at budget hearing

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Martin Makary testifies at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies budget hearing for fiscal year 2026 that the trains were running on time with food inspectors doing their job and no backlog at 12 food labs, clarifying that cuts referenced by senators were to 2600 HR staff, contract staff and budget staff totaling about 1800 to 1900 people in reduction in force, with no reductions in scientific reviewers and actually hiring scientists to replace normal turnover while AI tools helped make jobs more efficient.