All articles tagged with #civil service
Britain isn’t ungovernable, but a BBC InDepth analysis argues leadership is stretched by five prime ministers in seven years, Brexit and other crises, a centralised No.10, civil-service friction, and a public demanding quick results—highlighting a need for blunt truths, fiscal realism, and durable leadership to steady governance.
Health and Human Services is moving hundreds of senior career staff into a new at-will civil service classification to make it easier to fire them, a shift tied to the Project 2025 agenda backed by Trump allies. Officials say the change boosts accountability for policy-influencing managers, while critics accuse it of purging staff not loyal to the administration. The move is accompanied by reports of layoffs under a separate reduction-in-force at HHS, with the scope still unclear and no loyalty pledge required by the new rule.
NASA is implementing Administrator Isaacman's directive to move core, mission-critical work into civil service, launching the first insourcing package at the Katherine Johnson IV&V Facility in West Virginia. The plan includes accelerated Direct Hire Authority for civil servants, forthcoming postings, and later expansions to Greenbelt and Wallops to strengthen NASA's technical authority and resilience.
NASA Watch reports on a contractor-to-civil-service conversion that generated conflicting accounts—from LETF employees claiming critical staff were retained to NASA officials disputing the report—highlighting ongoing transparency and communication challenges in NASA's workforce reshuffle.
The Partnership for Public Service narrowed 2026’s Service to America Medals (the Sammies) to four honorees, down from prior years, citing upheaval in the federal workforce—including the loss of more than 300,000 federal employees—and a strained White House–career staff relationship that reduced nominations. Honorees include Gharun Lacy (State) for stopping a China-linked cyberattack, James Szykman (EPA) for collaborating with NASA on the TEMPO satellite to monitor air pollution, Jill Frisch (formerly IRS) for tax-revenue recovery through litigation, and Ransom Baldwin, Curtis Van Tassell, and Paul VanRaden (USDA) for dairy cattle genetics research improving milk production and animal health. The awards will be presented during Public Service Recognition Week at the National Museum of the American Indian, marking the 25th anniversary of the Sammies.
An On Point discussion with Tom Nichols argues decades of anti-elitism have eroded trust in experts, hollowing out national security and governance under the Trump era. It cites a string of examples—from misstatements about Iran’s nuclear program and a questionable reliance on ICE at airports to planning gaps at the State Department and a nuclear-regulatory purge—as evidence that sidelining expertise endangers lives and democracy. The piece calls for defending expertise, restoring the civil service, and restoring evidence-based policymaking to safeguard the country.
Democratic lawmakers in at least four states have introduced bills to bar people who joined ICE from future state or local government jobs, with proposals ranging from excluding them from law enforcement and teaching to banning them from the entire state civil service; none have become law yet, and legal challenges are anticipated as Democrats seek to counter ICE’s deportation tactics amid a broader funding stalemate in Congress.
Frontrunner Dame Antonia Romeo for the cabinet secretary role faced bullying and expenses allegations from staff during her time as UK consul general in New York; the government says there was one complaint investigated and dismissed, but BBC sources say there were multiple complaints, raising questions about her suitability for the top civil service post.
Dame Antonia Romeo, viewed as the government’s preferred cabinet secretary candidate, was questioned about her management style after a 2017 inquiry into three allegations related to expenses and bullying during her time as consul-general in New York; the investigation concluded there was no case to answer. The Cabinet Office stressed there was only one formal complaint and it was dismissed, while supporters highlight her 25-year record of public service and leadership of multiple departments. Some officials defended her amid criticism, noting the importance of thorough due diligence.
Keith Cowing analyzes Jared Isaacman’s directive to restore NASA’s core competencies by shifting critical work from contractors back to civil service, tightening procurement, and building in-house expertise, with rapid actions like workforce assessments, transition plans, onboarding, and the creation of center makerspaces; he cautions that 2025’s staff losses, a fragile strategic plan, and budget pressures complicate the effort, but emphasizes the need for broader audience engagement and internal culture changes to realize Artemis-era ambitions.
The Office of Personnel Management finalized Schedule Policy/Career to reclassify about 50,000 career federal employees, stripping civil-service protections and the ability to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board; implementation won’t start for at least 30 days as agencies submit lists for White House review, where final decisions will rest. Critics warn it politicizes the federal workforce and may invite lawsuits, with unions and Democratic lawmakers pledging to push back while whistleblower investigations shift to individual agencies.
Despite the hardships caused by the ongoing government shutdown, federal workers are finding their voice, organizing, and strategizing to oppose perceived injustices and defend their rights, with some seeing the crisis as an opportunity for greater activism and accountability.
During a government shutdown, the Trump administration used official channels to blame Democrats, blurring the line between federal employees and partisan politics, raising concerns about violations of the Hatch Act and potential erosion of public trust in the civil service.
Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats Party, has pledged to remove ISA head David Zini if elected, criticizing his appointment and calling for a civil service purge to protect democratic integrity, while facing criticism from Benny Gantz for politicizing security appointments.
A bipartisan group of 48 senators introduced the Protect America’s Workforce Act to nullify President Trump's executive orders that stripped federal employees of union rights, aiming to restore collective bargaining agreements and oppose what they describe as union-busting measures.