(Photos: Getty Images; Illustration: Leslie Garvey / POGO)
Press Release
Removing Protections for Nonpartisan Civil Servants Will Make Government Ineffective and Unaccountable
A new rule will make it easier to fire 50,000 federal workers
Washington, D.C. — Government watchdogs are warning that a new rule set to be issued tomorrow by the Trump administration that makes it easier to fire tens of thousands of government workers could politicize the federal workforce and weaken the accountability mechanisms that ensure the government is effectively serving the public. Faith Williams, director of the Effective and Accountable Government Program at the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), issued the following statement:
“After gutting the federal workforce last year, the administration is now making it easier to fire tens of thousands more nonpartisan civil servants and replace them with loyalists who prioritize partisan politics over effective governance through Schedule Policy/Career. If we staff federal agencies based on partisan loyalty rather than merit and expertise, we can expect government services — and the people who rely on them — to suffer.
“This rule will also have a chilling effect on whistleblowers who may be more afraid to risk shining a light on waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government for fear of retaliation, including being fired. The rule makes matters worse for whistleblowers by specifying that any claims of whistleblower reprisal or discrimination by employees moved to Schedule Policy/Career will be addressed to their agencies, rather than the Office of Special Counsel, an independent watchdog agency. Employees in the new schedule will also no longer be able to appeal adverse actions to the Merit Systems Protection Board.
“Congress must step in. Lawmakers should pass legislation reversing these changes while closely monitoring agencies as they implement this rule to ensure that federal hiring is merit based and that critical government roles are protected. Additionally, Congress must strengthen protections for whistleblowers and work with the Government Accountability Office to study how shrinking the federal workforce is impacting communities in both the short and long term.”
