Report slams Trump’s plan to fire federal employees

By Kevin Bogardus | 08/15/2024 01:18 PM EDT

The push “would undermine our government’s ability to deliver fair and responsive services,” the Partnership for Public Service said.

EPA workers.

Workers at EPA in 2019. A new report from the Partnership for Public Service makes recommendations on bolstering federal hiring. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Partnership for Public Service has admonished former President Donald Trump’s plan to purge the civil service, urging lawmakers to improve the federal government’s hiring process instead.

The nonpartisan good-government group released a report Thursday that detailed its proposal to protect career staff and bolster agency leadership. The partnership’s vision comes as worries grow about Trump’s possible return to the White House and his push to fire federal employees deemed not loyal to his agenda.

“Our government is not perfect, but we need to modernize it rather than burn it down,” the report said.

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At issue is Schedule F, a new class of civil servant Trump created under executive order in the final months of his last administration. Under his plan, career employees considered involved in policymaking could be classified in that category and be fired more easily.

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