The new document urges putting a ban in law “to ensure that employment in the Federal workforce remains unequivocally based on merit, skill, and experience, and does not become subject to politicization or favoritism." Image: MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
By: FEDweek StaffThe White House is asking Congress to change the law to prevent a future excepted service Schedule F, reflecting a proposal that fell just short of enactment in the prior Congress but that faces a much steeper climb with Republicans now in control of the House.
A budget book released this week to flesh out details of the budget plan that President Biden forwarded to Congress last week cites his action just after taking office to revoke an executive order that had been issued by then-President Trump. That order would have shifted potentially tens of thousands of competitive service federal employees into a new excepted service Schedule F where they would have lost many of their career protections and paving the way for filling those positions without competition.
However, Biden’s order could in turn be revoked by a future GOP administration; the new document urges putting a ban in law “to ensure that employment in the Federal workforce re¬mains unequivocally based on merit, skill, and experience, and does not become subject to politicization or favoritism.”
“The budget proposes to safeguard the Federal civilian workforce by advancing legislative changes necessary to reinforce the underlying foundations of merit-based civilian service. The administration looks forward to working with the Congress on this proposal. The American people deserve to be able to rely upon this expertise for program administration and delivery of services necessary for the functioning of our government,” it says.
A separate document shows that the White House is proposing language to not only put a bar against another Schedule F into law but also to more tightly restrict any shifting of competitive service jobs into the excepted service, including the Schedule C generally used for political appointees who are not subject to Senate confirmation.
It seeks to have that language added to the general government spending bill; while such measures typically apply only to the fiscal year they cover, the language would apply to “this or any other Act” of law.
That document also shows that the administration wants to drop long-standing provisions that require detailed reporting on spending for agency conferences; prohibit “lifestyle” training and other training of federal employees not directly related to official duties; and bar agencies from providing non-public information on their employees such as phone numbers or email addresses to outside entities, such as federal unions that could use that information for recruiting and other purposes.
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See also,
How Do Age and Years of Service Impact My Federal Retirement
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