President Biden’s administration has implemented a new rule to protect federal workers from being easily fired, as former President Trump had previously attempted to revamp the workforce to combat the “deep state.” The new rule aims to prevent political interference in the duties of civil servants, ensuring they can work in the best interest of the American people. The Office of Personnel Management has introduced regulations that prevent career civil servants from being reclassified as political appointees or other at-will workers, making it more difficult to dismiss them from their jobs. This rule is a response to Trump’s executive order, Schedule F, which sought to reclassify federal employees and reduce their job security protections.
The National Treasury Employee Union obtained documents showing that office managers and specialists in human resources and cybersecurity were among those potentially subject to reclassification under Trump’s order. The new rule sets procedural requirements for reclassifying federal employees, ensuring that civil service protections cannot be taken away regardless of job type. It also clarifies that policymaking classifications apply to political appointments and not career civil servants. This rule will make it more challenging for future presidents to remove nonpartisan professionals and replace them with political loyalists.
Good government groups, liberal think tanks, and activists have welcomed the new rule as a way to protect federal worker protections. Conservative organizations, such as the Heritage Foundation, have advocated for replacing existing government employees with more conservative alternatives, which they see as necessary to combat the “deep state” bureaucratic system. The Biden administration’s rule, published in a 237-page document, is set to take effect next month after receiving feedback from over 4,000 public comments. Some top conservative organizations have opposed the rule, but the majority of comments were supportive.
If Trump were to win another term, his administration could attempt to draft new rules through the Office of Personnel Management. However, this process is lengthy and requires a detailed explanation of why new regulations would be an improvement, potentially leading to legal challenges from opponents. The fight over federal worker protections and potential reclassification efforts continues to be a point of contention between political parties. Overall, the new rule implemented by President Biden’s administration aims to safeguard the job security of career federal employees and prevent political interference in their roles.
