Political Appointees
Critics sound alarm over HHS plans to restructure evaluation office
A coalition of nonprofits, research institutions, child welfare advocates and more note that plans to push research out of the Administration for Children and Families and into the purview of political appointees jeopardize the credibility of that work.
Unions oppose a Trump labor nominee over lack of experience, hostility toward bargaining
Conservative lawyer Charlton Allen has no prior experience in labor-management relations, but said he opposed collective bargaining rights for state workers in North Carolina as a political candidate in 2012.
New Senate bill would bar administration officials from serving as an inspector general
Most IGs confirmed since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term have experience working in his administration.
‘Harder days ahead in 2026’: Good government group predicts increased political interference in the civil service in Trump’s second year
A new analysis from the Partnership for Public Service looks at the effects, so far, of the Trump administration’s reforms to the federal workforce and what they could portend.
200 DOJ employees who left under Trump say admin is making ‘coordinated effort’ to undermine career staff
The Justice Department is actively pushing out career employees working on civil rights, they say.
Democrats argue Ingrassia should be removed from government following nomination withdrawal
While no longer the special counsel nominee, Paul Ingrassia is now a senior official at the General Services Administration.
RFK pressured CDC to dismiss career scientists until they backed his views, ousted director says
HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy is putting politics ahead of science and risking Americans’ health, top officials pushed out and dismissed at CDC tell Congress.
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After firing of BLS chief, Lutnick tells federal statisticians that independence is ‘nonsense’
Employees should only focus on accuracy and getting “the right answer,” Commerce secretary says.
Federal grants must ‘demonstrably advance’ Trump’s agenda, president orders
Trump’s new federal grants process has employees concerned over added bureaucracy and politicization.
All remaining DOGE staff are in political positions, despite concerns of ‘burrowing in’
No DOGE personnel have converted to permanent, career roles.
‘The neutrality of the agency has been eliminated’: Stats-based feds decry BLS chief’s firing
Employees express concern Trump's firing of the commissioner, which followed a weak jobs report, will lead to future interference with their work.
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DOGE and other day 1 Trump appointees head for the exits at multiple agencies
The Interior Department and General Services Administration are seeing significant turnover in the leadership ranks.
Russ Vought bills CFPB $5M for his security detail
The expense comes as the consumer-protection agency's budget is slashed nearly in half.
Trump creates 'Schedule G' to add more political appointees to agencies top ranks
The new, non-career employees will serve in policy-making roles and add "horsepower" to carrying out the administration's agenda, White House says.
Trump's pick to lead NOAA pledges to restaff weather service
Nominee says he would work to undo the workforce cuts from the last few months, though the process could take time.
Senate panel approves Trump pick to head Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Susan Monarez’s nomination is now headed to the floor.
Senators fix their sights on OPM’s pay memo for political appointees
Eight Democrats decried recent guidance encouraging agencies to pay Schedule C political appointees the maximum federal salary of $195,200 as an attempt to hire “underqualified and overpaid political elites.”
Senate confirms Bisignano to lead Social Security
In a party line vote, Senate Republicans elected to disregard a whistleblower’s allegation that Frank Bisignano had improper contact with the agency to facilitate DOGE operatives’ onboarding.
OPM strips career HR from Schedule C appointments, salary setting
“You’re about to see a s-------d of employees making” the maximum federal salary, one expert quipped.
OPM, OMB nominees praise ‘at-will’ employment at confirmation hearing
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee considered the nominations of Scott Kupor to serve as OPM director and Eric Ueland to serve as OMB’s deputy director for management.
