Trump Executive Orders on Civil Service Reform Are a Huge Win for Taxpayers, Workplace Equity
On news today that President Trump signed three executive orders aimed at making federal workers more accountable and better-performing, Competitive Enterprise Institute experts praised the reforms – especially the one trimming a taxpayer giveaway to labor unions.
“Today’s announcement shows a move toward accountability for poor performers and unions, while increasing workplace equity for all the dedicated and hardworking government employees who have had to pick up the slack for far too long,” said CEI President and CEO Kent Lassman.
“It has been a long-standing outrage that it is almost impossible to fire a federal civil servant who isn’t up to the job,” said Iain Murray, CEI Vice President for Strategy. “It is even more outrageous that some workers, hired to do a job for the American people, spend their time on union business instead. The president’s executive orders are a welcome step in righting these wrongs, allowing the civil service to do a better job for the American people. President Franklin Roosevelt understood the dangers of allowing union bosses control over the federal workforce, and President Trump is following his lead in reasserting control over the civil service.”
CEI has long advocated for curtailing or eliminating labor union “official time,” a policy that allows public employees to get paid by taxpayers while conducting union business. CEI labor policy expert Trey Kovacs, who testified this week before a House subcommittee on official time, offered the following comment:
“President Trump’s executive order curtailing official time is a huge win for taxpayers and the efficient operation of government,” said Kovacs. “This new policy ensures federal employees will spend more time serving the public and less time performing the private business of their union, like lobbying Congress. President Trump should be applauded for issuing an executive order that makes sure tax dollars are used wisely and not frittered away to special interest groups.”