On January 22, President Biden issued an Executive Order to nullify the creation of Schedule F in the Excepted Service (EO 139957). FMA strongly supported this effort, as we stood steadfast in opposition to the creation of Schedule F in October 2020. 

The new EO states that Schedule F, “not only was unnecessary to the conditions of good administration, but also undermined the foundations of the civil service and its merit system principles, which were essential to the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883’s repudiation of the spoils system.” Click here to read Biden’s full EO.

FMA addressed Biden’s action regarding Schedule F in our most recent “Hear It from FMA” column published in FEDManager.com on Tuesday, February 2. We wrote, “We are extremely pleased that our efforts have paid off, and the Biden administration acted swiftly to end this harmful policy. The only way career civil servants can effectively carry out their critical missions is by remaining free of political concerns. The value of having a competence-based civil service devoted only to doing their jobs, ensures that said jobs will be done far more effectively than if they had been forced to conform their statements to transient political concerns or face firing.” Click here to read FMA’s full column.

Biden’s EO also revoked EOs 13836 of May 25, 2018 (Developing Efficient, Effective, and Cost-Reducing Approaches to Federal Sector Collective Bargaining), 13837 of May 25, 2018 (Ensuring Transparency, Accountability, and Efficiency in Taxpayer-Funded Union Time Use), and 13839 of May 25, 2018 (Promoting Accountability and Streamlining Removal Procedures Consistent with Merit System Principles). 

FMA supported many elements of EOs 13836, 13837, and 13839. Additionally, FMA broadly supported the final rule entitled “Probation on Initial Appointment to a Competitive Position, Performance-Based Reduction in Grade and Removal Actions and Adverse Actions,” 85 Fed. Reg. 65940 (October 16, 2020). We note the importance of ensuring that managers have tools available to address employees with unacceptably low performance is unquestionable. 

As stated in our Hear It from FMA column, “We urge the Biden administration and Congress to engage in a deliberate process of consulting with stakeholders, including management and unions, to create a better and universally acceptable system for providing accountability and ensuring that the federal government is serving the American people in the most efficient manner possible.”