Protect the Civil Service—Preserve Neutral, Effective Governance

I am writing to urge you to defend the integrity of the federal civil service and oppose the dangerous changes being proposed that would undermine its nonpartisan character. Politicizing Hiring and Firing There is an ongoing effort to expand “at-will” employment for federal workers, introduce political loyalty tests for new hires, and revive a reclassified version of Schedule F. These measures would eliminate long-standing protections for tens of thousands of career employees, allowing them to be fired without cause and replaced based on political loyalty. Threat to Impartial Expertise Federal agencies rely on qualified, experienced staff who operate independently of political influence. Replacing these experts with ideologically vetted appointees will weaken the ability of government agencies to serve the public fairly and effectively. Erosion of Protections These changes would dismantle legal protections in place for over a century. The Pendleton Act and Civil Service Reform Act were designed to ensure merit-based hiring. Reviving Schedule F or similar mechanisms would reverse this progress and expose the system to political abuse. Loss of Public Trust A politicized civil service erodes confidence in government, destabilizes operations, and strips agencies of institutional knowledge. Morale is already low amid threats of mass firings and ideological purges. Action Needed Please: 1. Oppose loyalty-based hiring and at-will employment in federal roles. 2. Support legislation to permanently block Schedule F-type systems. 3. Affirm the principle that civil servants serve the Constitution—not any political agenda.