“It is fundamentally different from the academy because of the political overtones,” he said.
Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said her agency was unaware of the new policy.
“We were completely taken aback when the agencies focused on responding to the pandemic and the team worked tirelessly,” she said. “I think our career team deserves more than an unevaluated policy.”
Brian Harrison, HHS team leader, oversaw the rule himself, in place of department secretary Alex M. Azar II. The move was the product of a small “deregulation group” at HHS that Harrison led this year, he said in an interview. Leading health officials complained about what they see as Harrison’s efforts to draw attention to his role in the search for new rules, including using the department’s public relations account on Twitter to regularly display graphics with his name commenting on new policies .
Nobody will lose their jobs because of the rule, he said in a conference call with reporters on Friday. Employees who could lose their jobs at the top of centers, offices and divisions would be appointed elsewhere within your agency. Others can be renewed for additional five-year terms.
“All Americans are familiar with the need to check with their boss,” said Harrison. “It simply institutionalizes leaders within HHS, whose boss is now the secretary, to check with their boss twice a decade.”
Many senior health officials are hired as political appointees, which means that they often leave agencies when there is a change in presidential leadership. But the new rule would affect professional career personnel, who have worked in the government for decades.
Mr. Harrison said the move would help to diversify leadership positions by paving the way for new employees to ascend to leadership positions. But policy critics say it could be a convenient way for political leaders to alienate members of the senior career team with opposing views and could repel talented scientists who are considering entering public service.