This is an extremely important story that isn't getting the attention it deserves.
After GSA initiated the presidential transition, I warned that there would still be new Trump sabotage to come. This is exactly what I was concerned about.
Here's what's happening-- 1/
Presidents appoint leaders of federal agencies, for instance Cabinet secretaries and their staffs, but most civil servants are career federal employees, a professional staff that provide continuity no matter which party is in power. Congress passed laws to create this system. 2/
It wasn't always this way. There was a time when an incoming president handed out government jobs to loyalists and supporters after taking office, and the civil service constantly turned over with administrations. That was terrible for the country. 3/
Congress passed the Pendleton Act in 1883 to end this practice (the "spoils system"), and over time created a permanent, professional civil service that works for the American people, not the benefit of one person.
Trump is trying to undo that now. 4/
To bypass laws enacted by Congress that protect career civil servants from being fired for political reasons, Trump issued an Executive Order just before the election creating a new classification of federal employees, "Schedule F," who can be terminated without cause. 5/
The White House ordered every agency to reclassify some of its workforce as Schedule F by January 19, 2021, the day before the Inauguration.
At the time, Trump believed he would get a second term, and planned to fire protected employees like Dr. Fauci for imagined disloyalty. 6/
But once it became clear Trump lost the election, a new goal came into view: sabotaging President-elect Biden.
Sometime in the last week, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) produced a memo which reclassified **88%** of its workers as Schedule F.
Trump now believes he can fire nearly everyone at OMB at will. More agencies are likely to follow OMB in reclassifying portions of their workforces as Schedule F soon. Trump likely hopes to replace swathes of the career federal workforce with loyalists. 8/ reuters.com/article/usa-el…
Obviously we are not taking this sitting down. Democrats in both House and Senate have filed legislation to nullify Trump's Schedule F order. 9/
The @OversightDems Committee is pursuing an investigation to track other reclassifications of workers, so that we can see where this is happening. Lawsuits have been filed, and a big fight over this is coming. 10/
federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2020…
I'm working with colleagues to block funding for reclassification of federal workers under Trump's order.
Trump hopes to leave his successor with a sabotaged government amid a pandemic and economic crisis. It's contemptible and we have to stop him. 11/11
One more thing. Some of you may remember that a top public official Trump appointed to oversee the federal workforce resigned last month because he could not in good conscience cooperate with a new order from the President. He resigned over this. 12/11 washingtonpost.com/politics/trump…
More: the Energy Department and Office of Personnel Management have both reportedly taken steps to reclassify portions of their workforces as Schedule F.
washingtonpost.com/politics/trump…
eenews.net/stories/106371…
talkingpointsmemo.com/news/this-exce…
@mattshuham got the form the Administration is using:
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