Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Increases Accountability in the Federal Workforce

President Donald J. Trump has signed a landmark Executive Order reclassifying approximately 8,000 senior federal positions into a new category known as Schedule Policy/Career. This action effectively transforms the highest-ranking career roles in the federal government into "at-will" positions, allowing for the swift removal of officials who underperform or subvert presidential directives.The administration frames this move as the fulfillment of a campaign promise to "drain the swamp" and ensure that the permanent bureaucracy is responsive to the elected leadership of the United States.The order targets officials in "confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating" roles.The Scope: 97% of the affected positions are GS-15 or Senior Level equivalents—the highest-ranking career tier below the Senior Executive Service.The Roles: Impacted positions include agency directors, deputy directors, chiefs of staff, senior advisors, and those responsible for drafting regulations or distributing federal grants."At-Will" Status: While these remain "career" positions with merit-based hiring, they are now exempt from the lengthy "adverse action" procedures that typically protect federal workers from termination.The administration argues that current civil service rules have made the government unmanageable:Lengthy Appeals: Federal removals currently take a year or more to process, leading agencies to seldom fire underperformers or even those guilty of "egregious conduct."Bureaucratic Subversion: The report cites data suggesting that many D.C.-based federal employees have admitted they would ignore lawful orders they personally disagreed with.Historical Context: The administration points to instances during the first Trump term where career staff reportedly refused to assist on specific policies, such as Title IX reform or civil rights prosecutions, based on personal political disagreements.This Executive Order is the latest in a series of aggressive reforms intended to shrink and streamline the federal government:Record Reductions: Under President Trump, the federal workforce has been reduced to its lowest level since 1966.Buyout Programs: Large-scale voluntary buyouts have allowed for a significant reduction in headcount without disrupting core government functions.Performance Accountability: New rules now require agencies to affirmatively determine if a probationary employee deserves tenure, rather than allowing them to become permanent by default.The President noted that this order reinstates and expands a policy from his first term (Executive Order 13957, or "Schedule F").Keeping the Promise: President Trump kept his pledge to reinstate the policy on his first day back in office.Rescinding Biden Regulations: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has officially rescinded the regulations implemented by the Biden Administration that were intended to block this type of accountability measure.Conclusion:By moving 8,000 high-level policy influencers to "at-will" status, President Trump intends to "operationalize the policies that voters elected him to pursue." The administration concludes that these common-sense measures will dismantle the "Deep State" and restore the principle that all executive branch employees report to the President.1. Reclassifying the "Deep State"2. Fixing a "Broken System"3. "Draining the Swamp" and Workforce Reduction4. Reversing the Biden-Era Reversal