A group of Democratic senators has introduced legislation that would rescind President Trump’s executive order aimed at allowing the administration to hire and fire federal workers for political reasons.  

Trump on Oct. 21 issued an executive order creating a new service classification called Schedule F for any career federal employee whose job is in any way connected to federal policy. This new classification will put tens of thousands of current and future federal workers in “policy-making” positions and strip them of important workplace protections against mistreatment or discrimination, such as an unfair removal. It will politicize the civil service, allowing the administration to hire and fire for political reasons.  

On Nov. 18, the senators, led by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., introduced a bill that would prohibit any funds from being spent to implement, administer, or otherwise carry out the EO. 

“This recent executive order will not only strip protections away from hard-working, dedicated civil servants, but it also recklessly creates chaos and dysfunction during the ongoing pandemic and presidential transition,” Peters said in a statement. 

Earlier this month, a similar bill was introduced in the House of Representatives that would block Trump’s Schedule F executive order. The bill, H.R. 8687, was introduced by House Subcommittee on Government Operations Chairman Gerald Connolly, D-Va.; Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y.; and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.  

Thirty-one members of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform also sent a letter to the Trump administration, demanding that the administration immediately stop any activities related to the implementation of President Trump’s executive order aimed at allowing the administration to hire and fire federal workers for political reasons.  

AFGE supports the House and Senate bills and thanks Sen. Peters, Reps. Connolly, Maloney, and Hoyer for their leadership in protecting the public service from being politicized.  

AFGE is asking our members to urge their representatives and senators to cosponsor both bills and to help fight this attack on dedicated public servants.