Latest from the White House (July 22)

President Trump Establishes New “Schedule G” Federal Worker Classification 

On July 17, President Trump issued an executive order (EO), Creating Schedule G in the Excepted Service, which seeks to create a new employee classification within the federal workforce. This effort comes on the heels of the Trump Administration’s addition of a new “Schedule Policy/Career” classification, making it easier to terminate certain career (or non-political) federal employees whose positions are “policy-influencing” (see previous coverage).

According to a White House fact sheet: “Creating Schedule G fills [a] gap and facilitates appointments of non-career federal employees who will serve temporarily and implement the policy agenda prescribed by the American people through our elections.” In other words, Schedule G would include political appointees who would serve at the pleasure of the President and not be career civil servants.

The EO is causing some confusion with many trying to understand how the new class would differ from Schedule C, which already provides the President with broad authority to make political appointments. However, one theory is that the new G classification would allow for more senior-level political appointments that could provide salaries in excess of the Schedule C pay scale. Others worry that this move is intended further consolidate the federal workforce to include those most aligned with the President’s policies.

This is a developing story.