The Health and Human Services Department and its agencies are going silent for now.
On Tuesday, the day after President Donald Trump's inauguration, HHS employees received an order to halt outbound communications, including health advisories, weekly reports, research, website updates and social media posts, the Washington Post first reported.
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"HHS has issued a pause on mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to emergencies or critical to preserving health," a spokesperson wrote in an email. "This is a short pause to allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization. There are exceptions for announcements that HHS divisions believe are mission critical, but they will be made on a case-by-case basis."
The Washington Post reported the directive has no definitive end date.
The order applies to agencies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Food and Drug Administration, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The Senate Finance Committee will hold a confirmation hearing to consider Trump's nominee for HHS secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., next Wednesday.