This isn’t about campfires, oh no. This is so much more satisfying than a roaring fire on a cold winter’s night:
Approximately 50,000 federal workers in “policy-influencing” positions will lose specific protections against firings and become more at-will employees in the next month, per a new Trump administration rule announced Thursday.
The new rule, published by the Office of Personnel Management, will move senior career civil servants in “confidential, policy-determining, policy-making or policy-advocating” positions into the Schedule Policy/Career category, formerly known as Schedule F.
Going forward, federal workers in those roles will lose their ability to appeal firings, suspensions or disciplinary action to an independent board.
Administration officials can dismiss those employees if they engage in “misconduct, poor performance or obstruct the democratic process by intentionally subverting Presidential directives.”
I think I speak for all my Readers when I say that while 50,000 is a nice round number, I’m thinking that 200,000 is a much nicer, rounder number. But I’m open to other, more ambitious suggestions.
Of course, the response has been predictable:
The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing non-postal federal workers, said in a statement that the rule would “chill protected speech” and “weaken enforceable protections against retaliation.”
“This rule is a direct assault on a professional, nonpartisan, merit-based civil service and the government services the American people rely on every day,” AFGE President Everett Kelley said.
Two issues jump off the page.
Firstly, let’s just suggest that right off the bat, the very idea of a government-employee union is an abomination. It’s time the AFGE was abolished.
Secondly, if the current crop of bureaucrats had actually behaved like a “professional, nonpartisan, merit-based civil service” over the past, oh, eighty years then this action wouldn’t have been necessary. But they haven’t, so here we are.
The bitter joke is that the civil service has always been the structure whereby Democrat policy has been implemented regardless of which party is in the White House. This new Executive Order from DJT is simply rectifying that attitude, and it’s about damn time, too.
50,000 “policy makers” is unfathomable.
This, “the American people rely on every day” is an over the top, egotistical wet dream and the person that said it needs to be beaten ands fired “entirely”.
At least 80% of ALL gov’t employees should be fired “entirely” and forced to seek honest employment like the rest of us. I am so done with the royalty class and it’s mindset in this country.
The glee I would feel if ex EPA employees had to turn tricks at a bus station for food is unmeasureable
EVERYONE in the govt should be considered “at will” employees. Pretty much everyone in the private sector has lived by that rule, they shouldn’t be considered any better than us. And when I say “at will”, I truly mean they can be fired and the person firing them doesn’t even have to give a reason. Just a severance check for two weeks and a “don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out” goodbye.
I’m trying to find fault with your statement, but can’t.
Kim, 200,000 is a nice round number, but given the levels of clear fraud in federal programs, I’m thinking 2,000,000 is a much nicer round number.
And it should start with: “your department is eliminated, and you’re fired, unless you can convince me that your role and job is absolutely necessary. ” The burden on the agency/employee to justify their existence. With receipts. You have 30 days. Good luck.
> Firstly, let’s just suggest that right off the bat, the very idea of a government-employee union is an abomination.
I beg to differ: someone needs to protect the low-level workers from abusive higher-level government employees.
I worked as a govt contractor for about a decade. When I started, I reported to a govt office that had 3 employees for 250 contractors. When I left there were 270 government employees for190 contractors. That was 12 years ago. The red tape had gotten too much.