Trump administration issues rule that makes it easier to fire federal workers

The Trump administration, via the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), issued a rule that could strip job protections from approximately 50,000 federal employees. This reclassification aims to allow agencies to more easily remove employees deemed to be underperforming or obstructing presidential directives. The rule also alters whistleblower protection enforcement, shifting responsibility from the independent Office of Special Counsel to individual federal agencies. This mirrors a previous attempt during Trump's first term, known as Schedule F, which was rescinded by the Biden administration. Critics, including the AFGE union and Democracy Forward, plan to challenge the rule in court, arguing it could lead to politically motivated firings despite the rule stating that political loyalty tests are prohibited. The rule is set to be published in the Federal Register on Friday.

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