Expanded Hiring Authority for Political Appointees under Trump's 'Schedule G' Directive
President Trump Introduces Schedule G Employment Classification for Federal Policy Roles
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order establishing a new federal employment classification called Schedule G. This new category is designed for non-career federal employees who will perform policy-making or policy-advocating work, without the need for Senate confirmation.
The primary purpose of Schedule G is to increase the number of senior political appointees who can faithfully implement the President’s policy agenda. It broadens the scope for agencies to hire political appointees beyond the avenues currently available, and may offer potentially higher pay than Schedule C positions.
Key implications of Schedule G include:
- It enables the administration to place more political loyalists into senior policy roles without the usual civil service protections or Senate confirmation, thus consolidating political influence within the executive branch.
- Schedule G may sidestep statutory caps on non-career Senior Executive Service (SES) appointments by creating a Schedule C-like category at a higher pay level, effectively widening the pool of politically appointed senior officials.
- This move is part of a broader Trump administration effort to politicize federal agencies, including efforts to strip merit protections from career civil servants and increase the role of political appointees in the federal workforce.
- While the administration claims Schedule G will enhance government efficiency and accountability, critics see it as an unnecessary politicization and potential weakening of the professional, merit-based civil service.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is specifically mentioned as an agency that could benefit from streamlined political appointments under Schedule G, though political affiliation should not officially be a hiring factor according to the guidance.
Regulations on how agencies will implement the new Schedule G classification are still forthcoming. Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, stated that Schedule G adds another layer to the Trump administration's efforts to politicize the career federal workforce.
Drew Friedman can be contacted about recent changes in the federal government by emailing drew.friedman@our website or reaching out on Signal at drewfriedman.11.
[1] New Federal Employment Classification: Schedule G [2] Trump's Schedule G Classification: What You Need to Know [3] Trump's Schedule G: A New Era of Political Appointments [4] The Impact of Schedule G on the Federal Workforce [5] Schedule G and the Politicization of the Federal Government
- This new Schedule G employment classification, introduced by President Trump, targets non-career federal employees who will perform policy-making or policy-advocating work within the federal workforce, bypassing civil service protections and Senate confirmation.
- While the administration claims Schedule G will enhance government efficiency and accountability, critics argue it could potentially weaken the professional, merit-based civil service and further politicize federal agencies.
- The implementation of Schedule G is expected to widen the pool of politically appointed senior officials, with the Department of Veterans Affairs being among the agencies that could benefit from streamlined political appointments under this new federal policy-and-legislation.
