House to Vote on Bill to Protect Federal Civil Service

NTEU is urging lawmakers to approve legislation that would protect our nation’s merit-based civil service.

The House is expected to vote in the coming days on the Preventing a Patronage System Act, which aims to prevent any future president from unilaterally implementing a new Schedule F classification, similar to an attempt by the previous administration. The White House earlier today issued a statement supporting the bill.

Ahead of the vote, National President Tony Reardon wrote a letter to all House members warning that “subjecting dedicated civil servants to partisan whims would adversely affect agency missions and the fair and impartial delivery of government services Americans rely on.”

If implemented, Schedule F could have forced tens of thousands of frontline federal employees to lose their civil service protections, allowing them to be hired or fired at will, with no cause and no due process. While President Biden revoked that executive order upon taking office, Congress must act to prevent future administrations from issuing a similar Schedule F order.