PASS Supports Push to Block Schedule F
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- Published: August 09, 2022
Last Tuesday, legislation was introduced to block an effort to reinstitute a plan that would strip federal employees of their civil service protections. It would stop any administration from firing career employees to install political appointees. This legislation mirrors that passed in the House last month as part of the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.
Senators are seeking to block a push to reinstitute Schedule F. Schedule F was included in an order introduced by the former president toward the end of his term aimed at creating a new class of federal employees. Essentially, Schedule F would remove career federal workers in certain jobs from the General Schedule into a new classification where all their civil service protections would be removed, essentially making them at-will employees.
“The federal workforce, including PASS members, is critical to our country’s success and strength,” said PASS National President Dave Spero. “Allowing politics to interfere with the work of career federal employees is a misguided step. PASS supports this legislation and will work to ensure the continued protection of all federal employees.”
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) introduced the Preventing a Patronage System Act in the House and the language was included in the House-passed FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. In the Senate, a group was led by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) to introduce identical language. Senate appropriators also included a ban on Schedule F as part of its Financial Service and General Government spending bill.
The legislation prevents any position in the competitive service from being reclassified to Schedule F and blocks the president from creating new job classifications without congressional approval in advance.