In an assertive move consistent with plans outlined in the Project 2025 blueprint, President Donald Trump is initiating contentious changes within the federal workforce. These adjustments involve transitioning approximately 50,000 government employees to a new job classification known as Schedule F, effectively allowing them to be treated as political appointees or at-will workers more vulnerable to termination. This strategy seeks to minimize the protections traditionally afforded to civil service employees. The reforms are part of a broader Trump administration agenda aiming to significantly reduce the size of the government and exert tighter control over its functions.
The decision follows an executive order signed by Trump upon resuming the presidency, and the plan is being formally presented in the Federal Register. In announcing the decision on social media, Trump emphasized that federal workers who do not support presidential policies or who engage in corrupt acts should not retain their positions, asserting that this move is about running the government efficiently, akin to a business.
Everett Kelley, heading the American Federation of Government Employees, warns that these actions might ultimately hinder the federal government’s effectiveness. Kelley expressed concern that making the roles of career federal employees political could compromise the integrity of the government’s merit-based hiring principles.
Government officials supporting the change argue it is crucial for boosting accountability within the federal workforce. This classification change aims to simplify the process of replacing employees holding positions that are directly involved in policy direction, development, advocacy, or confidential duties. According to the administration, this is to ensure the swift removal of employees for underperformance, misconduct, or defiance of presidential mandates without cumbersome procedural delays.
Finalizing the rule is just the beginning, as the president intends to authorize an additional executive order to complete the transition process. According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), this shift is intended to reinforce accountability among career federal employees, simultaneously streamlining the dismissal processes for cases of misconduct or poor performance.
Chuck Ezell, the acting director of OPM, issued a statement asserting that federal employees wield significant influence over laws and, by extension, peoples’ lives. As such, there is an imperative for these employees to adhere to the highest conduct standards, ensuring a government that is both efficient and accountable.
This development marks a pivotal moment in Trump’s protracted struggle against what he identifies as “the deep state,” a term he uses to describe a bureaucratic hurdle impeding his first-term objectives. Trump’s current actions are designed to expedite firing procedures and reconfigure the government structure, raising concerns among labor unions and other groups wary of potential power consolidation and violations of employee rights.
The reintroduction of Schedule F goes to the heart of Project 2025, an initiative championed by the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, and former Trump administration figures. This extensive plan comprises nearly a thousand pages designed to streamline, reform, and potentially dismantle bureaucratic structures that are perceived to oppose Trump’s governance principles.
Central to the proposal is the dismissal of up to 50,000 federal employees, replacing them with individuals who ideologically align with Trump’s policies, ensuring his governance style is effectively enacted.
Federal employees close to these developments voice concerns, including lawyer Kevin Owen, who cautions that workers reclassified under Schedule F might lose essential whistleblower protections, potentially stifling employee advocacy and transparency within the government.
Trump had previously issued a Schedule F order in 2020 aimed at redesignating numerous federal employees, which was later invalidated by President Joe Biden when he assumed office. Furthermore, the Biden administration introduced a new rule via OPM to impede such reclassifications, seeking to politically insulate civil service positions from administration changes.
The Biden-era regulation prevented the conversion of career civil servants into political appointees or at-will workers. The rule was promoted as a deterrent to Trump’s potential reinstatement of Schedule F if he were to reclaim the presidency in 2024. Nonetheless, on Inauguration Day, Trump enacted another executive order to revive the 2020 order, setting the stage for these current developments in federal employment policy.
The OPM has clarified that newly reclassified positions will continue to be filled on a nonpartisan, merit-based process but will be categorized as at-will jobs. This classification exempts them from cumbersome adverse action and appeals protocols that presently hinder addressing performance or conduct issues effectively.