BRUNSWICK, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined 40 of his colleagues to introduce legislation that would block the implementation of an October 21 Executive Order by President Trump, which opened up new opportunities for “politically motivated firings” of effective employees. This harmful executive order would make it easier for the Administration to fire non-partisan civil servants with policy expertise and solid professional performance due to political disagreements that aren’t interfering with their work.

“In the midst of a global pandemic that has already killed more than 250,000 Americans, and an economic slowdown that tens of millions out of work, we are relying on the work of our civil servants more than ever before,” said Senator King. “These unsung heroes are frequently experienced scientists, analysts, and policy thinkers who are key to making sure our government is faithfully executing its duties and helping Americans across the nation live their day-to-day lives. President Trump’s executive order would unnecessarily politicize these critical positions, forcing policy experts to bend to the whims of an elected leader rather than following the facts. These federal workers devote their lives to serving the American people, not any one President; through this legislation, we aim to keep it that way.”

On October 21, President Trump signed an executive order that would allow agency heads to convert certain policy-centric positions to a new classification, Schedule F, where there is greater flexibility to fire those employees. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Acting Director Michael Rigas issued preliminary guidance on October 23 that suggests a broad interpretation of the types of positions that would be eligible for conversion. This has created concern that the Administration could fire civil servants and create uncertainty in federal agencies that are critical to protecting the nation’s national security and addressing the ongoing pandemic. OPM has still not answered basic questions regarding the development, implementation and potential consequences of this hastily issued executive order.