Government agencies to intensify efforts in reducing their employee count following a decision by the Supreme Court, as reported by a White House official.
Eric Ueland, the deputy director for management and the Office of Management and Budget, recently spoke at GovExec's Government Efficiency Summit, painting a stark picture of the federal government as a "failure" filled with an "inefficient bureaucracy." Comparing it to the movie franchise Final Destination, Ueland highlighted the need for reform.
The reform effort, spearheaded by President Trump, aims to improve the efficiency of the federal workforce. Key components of the reform include streamlining procurement, improving technology, and making more products in America. One of the most significant changes is the institute of Schedule Policy/Career, which is designed to empower the federal workforce and strip some federal workers of their civil service protections, allowing agencies to fire tens of thousands of employees for any reason.
Ueland believes that Schedule Policy/Career will enable federal employees to be more directly connected to their department or agency's leadership. Agencies are looking for ways to reduce their staffing levels through attrition and incentivized departures, and Ueland stated that efforts to cut staff are still underway.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that employees in several of its divisions will be offered a third opportunity to take extended paid leave before exiting government as part of the deferred resignation program. This move is part of a broader strategy to drive changes in the federal workforce.
The Supreme Court has lifted an injunction that blocked federal agencies from trimming their workforces, paving the way for the Trump administration's plans to reduce personnel levels. The exact time when federal authorities received this approval is not specified.
The President's Management Agenda, outlining Trump's long-term vision for modernizing and improving government service, is under development. Ueland anticipates that Department of Government Efficiency employees will continue to be a hopeful and influential voice moving forward.
Despite the ongoing changes, President Trump has repeatedly emphasized the need for action over rhetoric in his reform efforts. The Trump administration told a federal court that the district court injunction had blocked 70 reduction in force actions at 19 agencies. As the President's Management Agenda is expected to be released "in due course," the future of the federal workforce remains uncertain but poised for transformation.
