Senators focus their attention on the OPM's pay directive for political appointees
In a letter penned on May 28, 2021, a group of Democratic senators, including Sens. Tim Kaine, Mark Warner, Chris Van Hollen, Angela Alsobrooks, Alex Padilla, John Fetterman, Richard Blumenthal, Patty Murray, and others, addressed acting OPM director Charles Ezell, expressing their concerns about the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance on Schedule C appointees.
The senators called out the OPM policy for potentially decimating the nonpolitical career civil service and accused it of bypassing basic guardrails for conflicts of interest and background checks. They also criticized the policy for encouraging the hiring of unvetted political appointees in sensitive roles.
The OPM guidance, penned by Charles Ezell in an April 10 memo, encourages agencies to consider offering the maximum federal salary of $195,200 to attract Schedule C employees. This move, the senators argue, could lead to massively wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars.
The senators asked for the agency-level cost of hiring the desired number of Schedule C appointees and requested salary information of all Schedule C appointees, broken down by agency and job descriptions of those making $195,200. They also inquired about the role of the Presidential Personnel Office in hiring Schedule C appointees.
Moreover, the senators asked for justification for revoking agency HR department authority to set the terms for Schedule C appointment, such as onboarding and vetting political appointees. They expressed concern that the policy would allow appointees to start work without proper vetting.
The memo states that well-qualified Schedule C employees are needed "to drive the unusually expansive and transformative agenda the American people elected President Trump to accomplish." However, the senators are sceptical, stating that this could lead to widespread corruption without proper checks and balances.
In response to these concerns, the senators set a deadline for these requests by June 4, 2021. They also requested any OPM guidance to agencies as to how to set the terms for a Schedule C appointment to avoid widespread corruption.
It is important to note that Schedule C employees are appointees to confidential or policy roles outside of the competitive service. One notable example is Monica Crowley, who served as the Trump administration political appointee who received the maximum federal salary of $195,200, holding the Level IV position of Assistant Secretary of State and Chief of Protocol.
The senators' letter to Charles Ezell marks a significant point of contention in the ongoing debate over the role and oversight of political appointees in government agencies. The outcome of this debate could have far-reaching implications for the future of the civil service and the integrity of the government.
Read also:
- Tobacco industry's suggested changes on a legislative modification are disregarded by health journalists
- Uncovering Political Ad Transparency: A Guide to Investigating opponent's Political Advertisements in the Digital Realm
- Elon Musk praises JD Vance's debate performance against Tim Walz
- Right-wing Israeli minister supports controversial plan for West Bank settlement expansion
