The Biden administration has finalized a new rule aimed at bolstering protections for career federal workers, ensuring they can carry out their responsibilities without political interference. President Joe Biden stated that the rule, proposed last September, is a step towards combatting corruption and partisan interference.
The move is a response to efforts by former President Donald Trump to reduce or alter the federal workforce. Trump had signed an executive order creating a new classification of federal employees titled 'Schedule F,' which allowed more leeway in hiring and firing based on loyalty.
Biden reversed Trump's executive order during his first week in office and finalized the new rule on Thursday. The rule safeguards federal employees from political firings and ensures that hiring is based on merit and expertise rather than political affiliations.
The rule clarifies that civil service protections cannot be taken away from employees unless voluntarily surrendered and makes it harder to strip away job protections. This impacts a diverse range of federal workers across agencies like US Customs and Border Protection and the US Postal Service.
A senior Biden administration official mentioned that the rule would be challenging to roll back in the event of a second Trump term. Any future administration seeking to change the rule would have to justify their actions through a new regulatory process.
While the rule could slow down efforts by a future administration, it could ultimately be reversed. Representative Gerry Connolly applauded the rule but emphasized the need for further action to prevent a politicized civil service.
Unions representing federal workers, such as the American Federation of Government Employees and the National Treasury Employees Union, praised the final regulation for reinforcing due process rights and civil service protections. They highlighted that the rule would maintain the stability of the government regardless of the political administration in power.
