Warner & Kaine Issue Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Attacking Federal Workforce

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement regarding President Donald Trump's executive order to attack the federal workforce, including by weakening protections for federal workers that will make it easier to carry out politically-motivated mass firings and imposing an across-the-board government hiring freeze:

"It's in the best interest of our national security and the quality of the services Americans rely on-including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food inspections, and natural disaster relief programs-that our federal workforce is hired based on experience and expertise, and receives the support needed to effectively deliver. Donald Trump's executive order is designed to starve and undermine the federal workforce and shows he is prioritizing his obsession with yes-men over the well-being of the American people and workers. We appreciate the steps the Biden Administration took to complicate Trump's ability to put this order into motion and will continue to push for our legislation to halt it altogether."

In April 2024, the Biden Administration issued a new rule-which mirrored the Saving the Civil Service Act championed by the senators-to protect federal workers from being reclassified outside of merit system principles, in keeping with congressional intent over many decades. In order to formally undo that rule and put in place Trump's order, the Trump Administration will have to undergo a months-long review process, which will include a public comment period. Failing to properly undergo this thorough process will prompt legal action.

The senators reintroduced the Saving the Civil Service Act last week and will continue to push for its passage to codify the protections outlined in the Biden Administration's rule into federal statute, which will make the protections more difficult to overturn.

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. These impartial civil servants research vaccines, help families in the wake of hurricanes and deadly fires, administer retirement and health benefits, inspect our food to ensure it is free of disease, and more.

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