Trump’s Reforms May Transform and Streamline the Federal Workforce
On his inaugural day in office, Trump enacted seven executive orders aimed at decreasing the size and expenses of the federal workforce.
WASHINGTON–President Donald Trump quickly took action after his swearing-in on Jan. 20 by signing numerous executive orders, including seven designed to significantly alter the culture, costs, and scale of the federal workforce.
The same order also tasked the directors of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to collaborate with the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to “create a strategy to downsize the federal government’s workforce through enhancements in efficiency and natural attrition.” The order did not indicate the number of jobs that are to be cut.
Many of the remaining five orders concerning civil service are already facing strong opposition from congressional Democrats who represent large numbers of federal employees, as well as from various professional organizations and labor unions.
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“Only 41% of civil service supervisors feel confident enough to remove an employee for insubordination or significant misconduct, and only 26% believe they can terminate someone for inadequate performance,” the order noted.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) questions witnesses during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on March 29, 2023. Cliff Owen/AP Photo
The Schedule Policy/Career reforms affect approximately 7,000 members of the Senior Executive Service (SES), who earn between $180,000 and $246,000 yearly. These positions represent the highest policy-making roles available to career service employees. The order could potentially apply to additional positions at levels below SES in the future.
The order also disbanded the existing Executive Resources Boards (ERB), which oversee SES managers in specific departments and agencies, replacing them with new panels dominated by politically appointed officials.
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton addresses reporters following a panel discussion hosted by the National Council of Resistance of Iran–U.S. Representative Office at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington on Aug. 17, 2022. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The order also revoked the clearance of John Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser for a brief period in 2019. The order indicated that Bolton’s 2019 memoir posed “a grave risk” of disclosing classified information.
Even prior to Trump officially issuing these seven executive orders, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) along with three colleagues in the House introduced legislation aimed at obstructing the Schedule F/Schedule Policy Career order.
The largest federal employee union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), condemned Trump’s proposed reforms, particularly the Schedule Policy/Career order.
