1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I am deeply troubled by the Office of Personnel Management’s decision to finalize a rule that significantly expands its authority over the removal of federal employees. For generations, our civil service has operated under a merit-based system designed to protect employees from political influence while ensuring accountability through established procedures. This change represents a fundamental shift in how career federal employees may be disciplined and removed. The timing and broader context of this rule are especially concerning. Federal employees have already endured hiring freezes, reductions in force, attacks on telework, uncertainty surrounding collective bargaining rights, and repeated efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce. Rather than strengthening the government, these actions have created instability, damaged morale, and made it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain experienced public servants. Americans depend on these employees every day, whether they realize it or not. Congress has a constitutional responsibility to provide oversight of the executive branch. Yet many members of Congress have remained silent while long-standing civil service protections are being altered and federal agencies face unprecedented disruption. Oversight is not optional—it is one of your most important responsibilities. The American people deserve to know that these sweeping changes have been carefully examined and that the rights of career civil servants are being protected. I urge you to publicly address this rule, ask difficult questions of the administration, and defend the principles that have guided our professional civil service for generations. Federal employees are not political appointees. They are career professionals who administer laws passed by Congress and serve presidents of both parties. They deserve fair treatment, due process, and leaders in Congress who are willing to speak out when those principles are at risk.