Funding for federal programs administered by the state Health Department could dry up and employees could be furloughed, says a memo sent to department employees and obtained by Mississippi Today. 

While the department told the news outlet no furloughs had been made yet, the memo circulated as an unspecified number of state Health Department contract employees were ordered to stop working this week because of a federal government shutdown.

The agency’s dependence on federal funds forced it to issue “stop-work orders” to contract employees across the agency, Health Department spokesperson Greg Flynn said. The employees were told to halt this week as their pay period ended, and were notified their jobs and compensation would pause until the shutdown ended.

Dr. Dan Edney, the state health officer, sent a department-wide memo Wednesday after the federal government shut down. Congress remains at loggerheads over government funding legislation, as Republicans and Democrats dig in for a prolonged fight. President Donald Trump has readied plans to unleash layoffs and cuts across the federal government. 

Edney’s memo said federally funded programs could experience delays in reimbursement, grant drawdowns or new obligations. The Health Department receives 80% of its funding from the federal government, with that money impacting a wide range of programs. 

One such program is the Women, Infants and Children’s Nutrition Program, a supplemental food program for new moms and young children. That program and other essential services will continue for “as long as possible,” the memo said. It is unclear whether the department will need to make additional cuts to free funds to maintain these programs. 

Edney said in the memo Wednesday that the department might issue furloughs — temporary, unpaid leave — if the shutdown drags on. 

Flynn told Mississippi Today there is a plan in place specifying which employees will be the first to be furloughed, but the plan hasn’t been implemented.

“Whether they become necessary depends on the federal government’s funding decisions in the coming days,” Edney wrote in his memo. “We are reviewing all available funding sources and will notify any impacted employees directly if furloughs are required.”

In addition to potential furloughs related to the government shutdown, the Health Department has already fired employees this week.

On Thursday, Mississippi Today reported that the Health Department fired at least 10 people from jobs dealing with preventive health and elimination of health disparities. A department spokesperson said “personnel adjustments” were made in response to “uncertainty around federal funding.” 

A person outside the department who was briefed on the firings and spoke to Mississippi Today under condition of anonymity to discuss internal agency decisions said those layoffs were partially in response to issues outlined in a report published by the State Auditor Shad White. The report alleged the Health Department failed to properly monitor taxpayer funds directed to the Office of Preventive Health and Health Equity.

U.S. senators were headed back to the Capitol on Friday for another vote on government funding, but there has been no sign of any real progress toward ending their standoff. Democrats are demanding that Congress extend health care benefits, while Republicans are trying to wear them down with day-after-day voting on a House-passed bill that would reopen the government temporarily, mostly at current spending levels.

The main point of contention between parties is the expiration of Biden-era subsidies that are making health insurance more affordable for millions of Americans. If they are not renewed, premiums on marketplace insurance plans will more than double next year, KFF estimates. 

Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia has been vocal on social media about the cost increases for his constituents. In one of his posts, he said the monthly cost for a family of four insured by Anthem would rise from $559 in 2025 to $2,131 in 2026. 

Mississippi’s Republican senators, Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, have blamed the shutdown on Democrats and said it would damage the country’s national security interests. Senate Republican leadership has balked at renewing the health care subsidies with the government funding legislation, saying it should be considered in a separate measure, if at all.

In an unprecedented move, the Trump administration has used government websites to pin blame on Democrats. A banner across the website of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says: “The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government. HUD will use available resources to help Americans in need.” 

In his memo, Edney said the Health Department would work to protect staff members and the work they do. 

“We understand that this uncertainty is difficult,” Edney wrote. “This is not the first time a federal shutdown has affected our agency, and we are committed to managing the situation with as little disruption as possible.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.