The New Plan to Fire Federal Workers Easily

The Trump administration is pushing ahead with a plan to make it simpler to dismiss certain federal employees. This move is part of a broader effort to reduce the size of the federal government and gain more control over it. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has proposed a rule that would reclassify tens of thousands of career civil servants as "at-will" employees. This change would strip these workers of their civil service protections, making it easier for them to be fired. The White House claims that this rule is necessary to address "unaccountable" federal employees who prioritize their own interests over those of the American people. Critics, however, see this as an attempt to increase political control over the federal workforce. President Trump and his supporters, including billionaire Elon Musk, have long argued for dismantling government bureaucracy, which they refer to as the "deep state. " They believe that the government is filled with corrupt employees and non-existent workers, though they have not provided evidence to support these claims. Trump has been clear about his desire for greater flexibility in appointing and firing federal employees. He wants to ensure that those in power will carry out his agenda and that those who do not will be removed. This effort began on Trump's first day back in office, with an executive order reinstating a previous order he had signed at the end of his first term. This order created a new category of political appointees in the federal workforce, originally known as Schedule F. The OPM estimates that about 50, 000 positions, or 2% of federal workers, will be reclassified under the new rule. These positions are described as having "important policy-determining, policy-making, policy-advocating, or confidential duties. " The White House has stated that once the final rule is issued, another executive order will reclassify specific positions as Schedule Policy/Career. This change is intended to empower federal agencies to quickly remove employees in policy-influencing roles for poor performance, misconduct, corruption, or subversion of presidential directives, without the usual procedural hurdles. The American Federation of Government Employees has taken legal action to protect civil service workers. The union's president, Everett Kelley, has criticized the latest move, stating that it will weaken the government's merit-based hiring system and undermine the professional civil service that Americans rely on. This proposed rule is just one of many sweeping changes Trump is making to the federal government, including shutting down some agencies and proceeding with mass firings. Additionally, Trump has removed other government employees he views as not loyal enough, including more than a dozen Justice Department officials involved in federal criminal investigations into him.