Targeting DEI and Protecting Public Service: Trump Moves Quickly to Improve Federal Workforce

CNN
—

President Donald Trump is targeting federal employees who focus on diversity, equity and inclusion and career political workers as he follows through on campaign promises to exert more control over the federal bureaucracy.

The moves, just days into his new administration, go after programs he has long attacked and officials he feels blocked some of his key initiatives during his first term. But they have created fear among federal workers and the unions that represent them, with employees worried about their jobs and their ability to carry out the missions that lured them into public service.

An executive order that sent shockwaves through the workforce on Monday calls for the creation of a category for federal employees involved in politics — known as Schedule F — that would make them easier to fire. Critics argue that the measure, similar to one he signed in late 2020, is intended to ensure loyalty to the president.

That step was followed on Tuesday by the directive to place employees in all federal offices of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility on paid administrative leave, effective immediately, as the Trump administration moves to end such initiatives. The Office of Personnel Management also wants a list of any job or contract descriptions that have been changed since the November election to hide their DEIA connections. Failure to report those changes could result in “adverse consequences,” according to emails federal employees received Wednesday.

Trump’s other initial measures include requiring employees to report to the office and asking for a list of employees still in their probationary period who do not have the same job protections.

The actions have drawn the ire of federal labor unions, which argue that Trump’s main goal is to close ranks.

The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 750,000 workers, attacked the Trump administration’s announcement to close DEIA offices. The union does not know how many workers may be affected by the planned force reduction action.

“The federal government already hires and promotes solely on the basis of merit,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a statement Wednesday. “The results are clear: a diverse federal workforce that resembles the nation it serves, with the lowest gender and racial disparities in the country. We should all be proud of that.”

“Ultimately, these attacks on DEIA are just a smokescreen to fire officials, undermine the apolitical civil service, and turn the federal government into an army of yes-men loyal only to the president, not the Constitution,” he continued.

Trump’s efforts to reshape the federal workforce are expected to end up in court, where a lawsuit has already been filed against the executive order creating Schedule F. Many of his other measures face other hurdles, including union contracts, and will take time to implement .

Still, that’s little consolation for employees already feeling the impact and others who expect to be hit soon. Several spoke to CNN but asked that their names not be used for fear of retaliation.

A lawyer for the Department of Homeland Security fears that the creation of Schedule F will make it more difficult for them to do their jobs properly. The lawyer, who has spent their entire career in public service, expects to be moved to that category as they consult on national and local political issues.

If that happens and they are deprived of the protections enjoyed by civil servants, the lawyer worries about being able to give their honest assessment of the cases before them.

“After nearly 20 years of federal service, I’ve never felt this kind of anxiety about my job,” said the attorney, who lives in the American Southwest with a spouse and two young children. “Being able to freely do my job with the feeling that I won’t face reprisals, I feel like those days are over once Schedule F is implemented.”

Meanwhile, a Maryland resident who works entirely remotely for the USDA is worried that returning to the office will force them to give up “the best job I’ve ever had” because it would lead to to two hours. commute each way.

But also of great concern is the impact of potential staff cuts on the projects they are working on to improve federal nutrition programs, such as the National School Lunch Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, which serve millions of Americans.

“I’m anxious to say the least about what will happen to this work and the people who depend on it if I and others lose their jobs,” said the USDA employee, who is married with four young children.

Some federal employees, however, are taking a more defiant stance.

A Department of Veterans Affairs employee who believes they would be moved to the Schedule F category is concerned about being put in a position that would conflict with their personal values ​​and beliefs. But if that happens, they said they would either find another job or wait to be fired.

“I don’t want to succumb to the chilling effect,” said the Washington, DC, metro area resident who previously worked in the private sector. To “be a political martyr would be a new experience for me.”