WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, U.S. Senator Angus King introduced the Saving the Civil Service Act to secure the jobs of non-political federal employees and protect tens of thousands of dedicated workers from losing job protections and due process rights. The bill would prevent future presidents from reclassifying jobs to replace experts and career servants with loyalists as retribution for not bowing to political pressures. There are more than 11,000 federal workers employed in Maine.

“The very foundation of our democracy was built on the premise that no one leader should have unchecked power — it is a government by the people and for the people,” said Senator Angus King. “Federal employees are the backbone of this democracy who work as nonpartisan individuals to keep the lights on through multiple transitions of power and leadership. The Saving the Civil Service Act will ensure that our merit-based federal hiring system continues at the pleasure of the Congress, and can’t be corrupted by the political motivations of a President. We owe the American people a strong, experienced federal workforce that will continue serving them without the influence of any political party.”

The federal workforce is comprised of roughly 2 million federal employees hired on the basis of their acumen, and they work each day for the American people — serving in myriad capacities to improve this nation and America’s posture abroad. On October 21, 2020, the President signed Executive Order 13957 creating Schedule F in the excepted government service. This executive order, repealed in January 2021, would have required agency heads to reclassify “policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating” positions to a newly created Schedule F category of federal employees that would remove their due process rights and civil service protections.

According to press reports, the Office of Management and Budget under President Trump planned to reclassify 88% of its workforce under Schedule F. Currently, new presidents can make about 4,000 political appointments, approximately 1,200 of which must be confirmed by the Senate

The bill is cosponsored by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Tom Carper (D-DE).

Senator King has continued to advocate for the continuance of government operations without the interference of politics. Last month, he sponsored the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2023 which would prevent harmful government shut downs, ensure critical services and programs continue for Maine people, and protect federal workers and their families from financial stress while Congress completes the annual appropriations process.

Full text of the legislation is available here.