Former President Donald Trump, who is running for a second term, has repeatedly criticized much of the federal workforce and has taken steps to make it easier to fire career federal employees.

Here’s a summary of how the Trump administration affected the federal workforce and what Trump has promised to bring back if elected to a second term:

Schedule F, Project 2025

As president, Trump signed an executive order that would have reclassified tens of thousands of federal employees in policy-making roles into a new category, called “Schedule F,” making them easier-to-fire at-will employees.

Trump signed the executive order at the end of his presidency and it did not take effect before he left office. president joe biden he quickly revoked it once he took office.

The Office of Personnel Management, under the Biden administration, finalized a rule earlier this year that would make it more difficult for Trump or any future president to bring Schedule F back into effect.

However, Trump administration officials have been reviewing plans to reactivate Annex F, in case the presidential elections are in its favor

Project 2050, a Heritage Foundation project spearheaded by many former Trump administration officials, outlines the plan for a second Trump administration, including the return of Schedule F.

Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025. In social networks, He said he hasn’t seen the plan. and “has no idea who is in charge and, unlike our very well-received Republican Platform, had nothing to do with it.”

It is not yet clear how many employees would be affected by the return of Schedule F. Some estimate that around 50,000 federal employees would be hired at-will under Schedule F.

A 2022 report from the Government Accountability Office showed that although OMB never reclassified any positions, approximately 68% of the OMB workforce would have become at-will.

However, the National Treasury Employees Union, unearthing Trump-era OMB documentsstated, the estimates are actually much higher. NTEU said the documents show that OMB was also targeting federal employees in less senior positions, including those in GS-9 and GS-10 roles.

Federal workforce, smaller agency budgets

in a video series On his campaign website, Trump said he would “put unelected bureaucrats back in their place” in a second term, and outlined his plans to do so.

Trump said he would require all federal employees to pass a new civil service test, “demonstrating understanding of our limited, constitutional government.”

“This will include the domain of due process rights, equal protection, freedom of speech, religious freedom, federalism, and Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures,” he said.

Trump said his administration would “squeeze the bloated federal bureaucracy to achieve massive savings.” The agencies, he added, would return funds from their congressionally appropriated budgets that they do not need.

“On day one, I will direct all federal agencies to begin identifying large portions of their budgets that can be saved through efficiencies and waste reduction through the use of reservoirs,” he said.

Trump said his administration would not reduce budgets for homeland security, Medicare or Social Security.

Trump said he would also repeal the Biden administration’s executive order promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the federal workforce.

“Instead of treating everyone equally, making decisions based on merit or qualifications, equity means that benefits are granted and policies are enforced based on skin color and sexual identity,” Trump said in a March 2023 video. on their website. “We don’t think it’s a good idea.”

He said he would also “immediately fire” all staff hired to implement this policy and eliminate all offices and initiatives related to it.

To “restore a merit-based federal civil service,” Trump said he would create a task force to “rapidly review every action taken by federal agencies under the Biden equity agenda that will need to be reversed.”

“When FEMA, the EPA, the FAA and the IRS are corrupt and tasked with enforcing fairness, freedom and equality under the law are absolutely dead,” Trump said.

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Trump’s pick for vice president, has largely endorsed his running mate’s platform when it comes to the federal workforce.

Vance, in a podcast 2021He said he would give Trump one piece of advice for a second term: “Fire all the mid-level bureaucrats, all the administrative state officials, and replace them with our people.”

Endorsements

Most federal unions spent much of the Trump administration opposing his policies.

Under his administration, they spent much of their time challenging a trio of executive ordersamong other actions, which ultimately challenged his ability to represent members of his bargaining unit.

The orders reduced official time, limited collective bargaining, and eliminated labor organizations from government office space. Biden terminated orders within his first days in office.

However, the National Border Patrol Councilwhich represents about 16,000 Border Patrol employees, endorsed Trump earlier this month.

“He has always supported the men and women who protect this border, who risk their lives for the country; a man who knows how to risk his life for what is right,” Border Patrol Agent Paul Perez, president of the union’s Local 3307, said in a campaign rally in Arizona last month.

Interagency deregulation

Trump said he would reinstate his executive order during his first term that required agencies to eliminate two older regulations for every new regulation that went into effect.

Trump said he would also ask Congress to pass legislation to sign the provisions of the executive order into law.

“Instead of increasing the size and scope of the federal government every year (we’ve been doing that), we will shrink it every year with aggressive cost-reduction goals to get to the federal department.” said.

Trump said he would also require agencies to post their regulatory guidance online in a central database, “otherwise they will be null and void.”

“This will effectively repeal a mountain of regulations and stealth threats that have been opposed by dishonest bureaucrats without adequate oversight,” Trump said.

Trump said he would also put independent regulatory agencies, such as the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, back under presidential authority.

Trump said these agencies would have to submit their proposed rules to the White House for review.

“These agencies stop short of becoming a fourth branch of government, issuing rules and edicts all day by themselves, and that’s what they’ve been doing,” Trump said.

Trump said he would also name billionaire businessman Elon Musk to lead a government efficiency commission.

Trump, speaking at the Economic Club of New York last month, said the commission would recommend “drastic reforms” and develop a plan to eliminate fraud and improper payments within six months, which he said would save trillions. of dollars.

USPS Privatization

The Trump administration proposed privatize the postal service as part of the government’s broad reorganization plan. While the idea never made it beyond initial planning, it would have meant significant changes to the salaries and benefits of more than 600,000 USPS employees.

“Privatizing the USPS through an initial public offering (IPO) or sale to another entity would require the implementation of significant reforms prior to the sale to show a potential path to profitability,” the 2018 plan said.

A privatized postal operator, the Trump administration proposed, could reduce costs by delivering mail fewer days a week and to more central locations, rather than door-to-door delivery.

“The current USPS model is unsustainable. “Major changes are needed in how the Postal Service is funded and in the level of service Americans should expect from their universal service carrier,” the reorganization policy states.

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