Posted on 04/04/2024 11:49:25 AM PDT by Red Badger
President Joe Biden’s administration announced its plan on Thursday to protect bureaucrats from being fired by a potential second Trump administration.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) finalized a rule that protects employees in the civil service by preventing the removal of their status and protections involuntarily, according to a press release. Under the new rule, an administration wishing to shift federal employees to a new category making them easier to fire would have to go through an elongated process, a move meant to be more time-consuming for a future president, Politico reported.
“Career federal employees deliver critical services for Americans in every community,” OPM Director Kiran Ahuja said in a press release. “This final rule honors our 2.2 million career civil servants, helping ensure that people are hired and fired based on merit and that they can carry out their duties based on their expertise and not political loyalty. The Biden-Harris Administration is deeply committed to the federal workforce, as these professionals are vital to our national security, our health, our economic prosperity, and much more.”
The rule is widely viewed as a response to an executive order signed in 2020 by former President Donald Trump, Politico reported. The executive order targeted federal workers, removing protections from some employees and make it easier for the president to hire and fire them.
The executive order took some entrenched bureaucrats “in positions of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character” and put them in a different category considered “Schedule F,” making them easier to fire.
The OPM rule quotes this language directly, even referencing “Schedule F.”
The final rule advances “policy goals,” the press release states, by “clarifying that the phrase ‘confidential, policy determining, policymaking, or policy-advocating’ positions—a term of art to describe positions that lack civil service protections—means noncareer, political appointments. This rule prevents that exception from being misapplied to career civil servants.”
“Schedule F,” the OPM press release stated, would have rid employees of their civil service protections which ensure that employment decisions are “based on merit, not political considerations. ”
The final rule is set to be published in the Federal Register on Thursday, the press release stated.
“This rule is about making sure the American public can continue to count on federal workers to apply their skills and expertise in carrying out their jobs, no matter their personal political beliefs,” OPM Deputy Director Rob Shriver told reporters, according to Politico.
In addition to Trump’s executive order, conservatives have pushed the importance of remaking the federal bureaucracy, and Trump allies have indicated it could be a key priority in a second term. In 2023, a majority of political donations made by federal employees went to President Joe Biden and fellow Democrats, a Daily Caller News Foundation analysis found.
“I haven’t heard any discussion of a way around this.”
Oh there’s a way alright. And smart people aren’t discussing it with anyone.
L
Shucks. He’ll just have to eliminate entire Departments, Dept. of Education would be a good place to start. I suppose he could eliminate the FBI or CIA too.
To hell with them.
To hell with them.
They must think they’re going to lose. The rules probably only apply to non-Democrats.
“Leadership would need to be placed in meaningless positions
Yup, just marginalize them. Like putting ineffective teachers in those rubber rooms all day. They get paid but students don’t get harmed.
I remember in 2016/2017 Dems, including Obama bureaucrats and RINOs, were frantically trying to preserve records, because “Who knows what Trump will do.” They were terrified of the danger of losing their jobs. Somehow the National Archives staff conspired with DOJ to frame Trump, FBI raided M-A-L, and here we are.
And here we are with Trump the likely next President of the United States...
Obviously, as in 2016, the bureaucracy is preparing for war kind of like before, but worse. Fire Garland and Mayorkas first. And Wray! My office now!
Nope Satan.
You won’t control things when your little demon is thrown out of the White House.
And you will leave with him and all your angels of Death.
Bon voyage, time to BURN!
LOL. Keep America FUBAR.
And broken, if they are that pernicious
Not according to the black robes tyrants. They rule that any EO by a demoncrap is eternal and immaculate, and any by Trump is unconstitutional and moot.
The OPM is not in the Constitution.
Company Policy on Death While at Work
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
To: All Personnel
From: The Management
Date: April 1, 1985
Subject: Standard Procedure on Death of an Employee
It has been brought to the attention of the management of this company that
many employees have been dying while on duty for no good reason. Furthermore,
it also appears that some employees are refusing to fall over after they have
died. This, in some cases, has resulted in unearned overtime payments which are
not provided for under our employee benefit program.
Effective immediately, this practice must be discontinued!
On and after today, any employee found sitting up after he/she has died will be
dropped from the payroll at once, without further investigation. This action is
covered by Company Regulation #20 (non-productive labor).
When it can be proven that the employee is being held up by a desk, typewriter,
drawing board, telephone, or any other means of support which is the property
of the company, a one (1) day period of grace will be granted.
In the event of apparent death, the following procedures will be strictly
adhered to:
1. If, after several hours, it is noted that any employee has not moved or
opened at least one eye, the department head will investigate. Because of
the highly sensitive nature and/or origin of some employees and because of
the close resemblance between death and their normal working attitude, the
investigation will be made quietly so as to avoid waking the employee if
he/she is asleep (which is, of course, permitted under present union
contracts).
2. If some doubt still exists as to the true condition of the employee, a
pay check will be used as the final test. If the employee fails to reach
for the check, it is reasonable to assume that death has occurred. Note
that in some cases the instinct is so strongly developed that a spastic
clutching may occur even after death; do not be misled by this
manifestation.
3. In the event that an employee fails to abandon whatever he/she is doing
at coffee break time, no investigation is necessary as this is conclusive
proof that rigor mortise has already set in.
Not necessarily. The court ruled that Obama’s DACA rule was the law of the land and Trump could not undo it, even if it was an EO and unconstitutional.
I don’t think he can close a department created by Congress, but he can announce a RIF of 90%. When was the last time you went into a federal office building were there WEREN’T several people standing around jawing?
OK fine, just reduce the budget for the departments/groups they work in, it’ll sort itself out.
Just saw an article today that the DC median income beats out ALL 50 states.
Not exactly what the founding fathers had in mind.
If a Federal bureaucrat is doing their job correctly, no one would even know who they plan to vote for on Election Day!
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