Remove Loyalty Tests for Federal Workers from Reconciliation Bill!

The efforts to alter the federal civil service system through partisan loyalty requirements undermine its core principles of expertise, experience, and commitment to public service over political allegiances. Basing hiring on factors divorced from merit jeopardizes the government's ability to effectively implement laws and deliver vital services to the American people. Moreover, the proposed changes to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) risk driving away talented and dedicated civil servants, compromising institutional knowledge and continuity. These provisions contribute negligibly to fiscal objectives while posing severe consequences for governance. To uphold democratic values and ensure a professional, nonpartisan civil service, the concerning provisions pertaining to federal employment must be removed from the reconciliation bill. The integrity of public administration, meant to serve all citizens equitably, is at stake.