EPA's Research Arm Shut Down Amid Staff Cuts | JQJO

The Trump administration is closing the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development, eliminating 23% of EPA staff and saving $748.8 million. This move, criticized by Democrats, will impact research on various environmental hazards. While the EPA claims to be creating a new office to prioritize research, critics argue this will cripple the agency's ability to conduct and utilize scientific research, negatively affecting public health and safety. The EPA insists some employees are being reassigned, with layoffs a future possibility.