The Trump Administration is trying—again—to shift large numbers of employees into a new, at-will category where they can be more easily fired. In a shocking affront to the merit-based civil service, employees in this new category will not be protected from being fired for partisan reasons.
Civil servants are speaking up and talking about the ramifications of Schedule Policy/Career. Below are comments submitted by federal employees deeply concerned about the politicization of their jobs.
Drain the Swamp?
As a two-tour combat veteran who proudly served this country in Iraq, I am writing—anonymously, but with conviction—to voice my firm opposition to any effort to convert federal employees to “at-will” status. This misguided proposal is not just a bureaucratic change—it’s an assault on the dignity, stability, and livelihoods of those who have committed their careers to public service.
I risked my life for this country. I wore the uniform, I endured firefights, I buried friends, and I came home with the scars to prove it—both visible and invisible. After that sacrifice, I expected a government that would honor its commitment to those who served and to those who continue to serve in civilian roles. Instead, here we are—again—with another attack on the federal workforce, led by the same politician I once voted for, foolishly believing he had the interests of working Americans in mind.
Transitioning to an “at-will” system undermines everything the civil service stands for: fairness, accountability, and protection from political retaliation. It weaponizes fear, discourages dissent, and turns public servants into political pawns. It makes it harder for veterans like me to provide for our families and find security after already giving so much.
If you think this will somehow “drain the swamp,” think again. You’ll drain the competence, the integrity, and the institutional knowledge that makes our government function. What you’re left with is instability, partisanship, and a demoralized workforce—just the kind of chaos America’s enemies root for.
This isn’t reform. This is retaliation. And I will not be silent.
A Threat to Constitutional Governance
As a dedicated federal employee, I am deeply concerned about proposed regulations from the current administration that would erode long-standing protections for career civil servants and make it easier to dismiss employees based on subjective criteria. These changes appear aimed not at improving performance or accountability, but at creating a system where loyalty to political leadership is prioritized over merit, expertise, and the impartial delivery of public service.
The federal workforce exists to serve the American people—not any one party, administration, or ideology. Undermining the merit-based civil service system threatens the nonpartisan foundation of government operations and risks politicizing decisions that should be guided by law, policy, and the public interest.
I urge policymakers and the public to recognize the value of a professional, stable, and independent civil service. We must reject efforts that would transform the federal workforce into a tool of political favoritism, and instead reaffirm our commitment to integrity, competence, and constitutional governance.
Eroding Trust
I am writing…to oppose any regulation that revives or mimics Schedule P/C or undermines merit-based civil service protections.
As a recently hired federal employee, I was removed during my probationary period without a performance review, warning, or appeal. I had passed an RA1 exam with a score of 100 percent, began handling real audit cases for the IRS, and had committed to a long-term public service career. Yet I, and many others like me, were suddenly stripped of our jobs—despite court orders requiring reinstatement. It became clear that our removal had nothing to do with performance and everything to do with political targeting.
The proposed changes would institutionalize that abuse. Stripping thousands of federal employees of due process and reclassifying them as “at-will” would allow political appointees to purge agencies of neutral experts and replace them with loyalists. This is not hypothetical—it’s already happening. Courts and watchdogs are fighting to restore what was lost, and this rule would wipe out their progress.
Federal agencies should be staffed by professionals who serve the American public—not by people selected for their political allegiance. If these changes move forward, it will destroy the impartiality of the civil service and erode public trust in government.
I urge the Office of Personnel Management to reject any version of Schedule P/C. Protect nonpartisan service. Reinforce the principles of merit, accountability, and integrity.
Civil Servants ≠ Political Tools
I am writing to express strong opposition to any proposal that would reclassify large numbers of federal employees into an at-will employment category. This shift represents a dangerous departure from the core principles of a merit-based civil service and poses numerous threats to the integrity, functionality, and fairness of our government institutions.
First and foremost, removing merit-based protections opens the door to political patronage, retaliation, and cronyism. Civil servants must be free to serve the public interest without fear of being fired for their political beliefs or for refusing to carry out unethical orders.
This kind of job insecurity undermines the independence of federal workers and discourages whistleblowing and transparency.
Additionally, this change would erode decades of institutional knowledge and weaken the stability of federal agencies. Our government depends on experienced, nonpartisan professionals to carry out essential functions. Turning these positions into revolving doors of political appointees will reduce effectiveness, damage public trust, and create chaos during transitions between administrations.
I urge policymakers to preserve the foundational principles of a merit-based civil service and reject efforts to turn federal employment into a political tool.
Politics has no Place in Parks
I am writing to express my strong opposition to any proposed regulations that would enable the creation of a new federal employee category resembling “Schedule P/C,” or otherwise allow for the politicization of the federal civil service. As a long-time public servant with the National Park Service, I have dedicated my career to serving the American public with integrity, impartiality, and professionalism.
The foundation of the federal civil service is its merit-based, nonpartisan structure. This is not just a principle—it is a safeguard that ensures public agencies serve all Americans, regardless of political party. Proposals that allow employees to be reclassified into an at-will status—stripped of due process and vulnerable to politically motivated firings—are a direct attack on that foundation. These policies would open the door to replacing career professionals with political loyalists, weakening the effectiveness, credibility, and continuity of public service.
Federal employees are experts in their fields—scientists, analysts, park rangers, engineers, and countless others—who work behind the scenes to ensure our government functions for the good of the public. They should never have to fear losing their jobs because their work is politically inconvenient or their personal views don’t align with the administration in power.
I urge the Office of Personnel Management to uphold the principles of a professional civil service and reject any attempt to roll back protections that ensure impartiality, accountability, and fair treatment. We must not allow political influence to undermine the institutions that have served this country faithfully and effectively for generations.
Reform or Retaliation?
At a time when countless federal employees are still reeling from the illegal and devastating Reduction in Force at the Food and Drug Administration, this rule reads less like reform and more like retaliation. It feels targeted. It feels personal. And it sends a chilling message that loyalty, service, and sacrifice mean nothing in the face of political agendas and administrative power grabs.
We were not given reassignment. We were not offered demotion. We were discarded abruptly, without clarity, without fair process, and in blatant disregard for the rights we were promised as federal employees. These actions were not just immoral. They were likely unlawful. And now, the Office of Personnel Management proposes to weaken the very protections that could have shielded us from this abuse?
How dare you.
To push this rule forward after what has just happened is a betrayal of your oath. You swore to uphold the Constitution, not to serve an administration’s fear, vengeance, or ambition. You were elected and appointed to serve the people, not to rubber-stamp injustice. What happened to oversight? What happened to the merit system principles you are sworn to protect?
You do not get to rewrite the rules to erase your responsibility.
You do not get to watch people lose their jobs and livelihoods and then offer fewer protections in the name of "responsiveness."
This is not about performance. This is about power. This is about using federal policy to silence, punish, and purge. And every single person who reads this, who still believes in democracy, fairness, and the dignity of public service, should feel morally obligated to reject this rule and stand with the people you were put in office to protect.
You are not just administrators. You are stewards of justice. Act like it. This is not just policy. This is people’s lives.
Reverse course. Investigate the FDA RIF. Withdraw this rule. And remember: Silence is complicity, and your constituents are watching.
A Terrible Idea…
While the current administration has expressed and shown its contempt for organized labor, consumer protections, environmental protections and stewardship and the protection of public health, the implementation of Schedule P/C would be problematic under any presidential administration. No President should be able to use the Office of Personnel Management to threaten the nonpartisan civil service for disloyalty. Sycophantic loyalty to any one President or party is a recipe for disaster when it comes to providing the goods and services the American people rely on from their government—goods and services that millions of federal civil servants provide effectively and efficiently every day.
Where I am located, there are approximately 2,300 federal employees like me just at the Department of the Treasury Bureau of the Fiscal Service. Over 70% of Wood County voters who cast a ballot in 2024 and checked a box for a candidate for the Office of President cast their vote for Donald Trump. That number included quite a few federal employees. That fact should have absolutely nothing to do with federal employees keeping their jobs and keeping their civil service protections. Whether a federal employee voted for the current President or the Democratic candidate, former Vice President Kamala Harris, or a third-party candidate or no one at all, they should be treated with the same dignity and respect they were given in the 1960s and 1970s by members of both major parties in the White House and in Congress.
This proposed rule is a terrible idea for the entirety of the federal civil service and for the American people it serves. We pledge in our oaths of office as federal employees to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, not to cater to and do the bidding of any one President or that President’s political appointees. The rules administered and enforced by the Office of Personnel Management should reflect that reality in their entirety.