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New Legislation Aims to Strengthen Compliance Among Federal Employees
As the election approaches, a proposed House bill from Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, known as the Stop Resistance Activities by Federal Employees Act, seeks to impose stringent penalties on federal employees who may obstruct or oppose lawful directives from the incoming presidential administration. The legislation includes provisions for a possible five-year debarment from federal employment for violations.
The bill mandates that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) develop training programs for federal employees at the General Schedule 15 level, as well as those within the Senior Executive Service and other tiers. This training would focus on the consequences of failing to comply with directives issued by the president, vice president, or any political appointee.
Under this legislation, the scope of lawful orders encompasses a variety of presidential directives, including executive orders and national security memoranda. Violations could result in severe penalties akin to those associated with Hatch Act infractions, such as removal from office, demotion, suspension, reprimands, a civil penalty of up to $1,000, or a combination of these sanctions.
In an official statement outlining the initiative, Pfluger characterized the STRAFE Act as a means to enhance cooperation within federal agencies and to mitigate resistance from within the ranks of federal employees. “Career unelected bureaucrats cannot be allowed to undermine the agenda of any future President,” Pfluger emphasized, expressing concerns about opposition seen during the previous Trump administration.
The legislation proposes a timeline for the OPM, giving the office 180 days post-enactment to establish and implement the training curriculum. Federal employees would be required to complete the training within 30 days of its launch and participate in annual refresher courses.
Additionally, the STRAFE Act instructs agency heads to create a system for reporting violations, which would allow employees to report any discrepancies to political appointees in the Senior Executive Service (SES) within 180 days. A comprehensive report detailing the number of violations and ongoing investigations would be submitted to the Executive Office of the President biannually.
Pfluger’s office asserts that this reporting system would create a more transparent process, circumventing traditional channels such as the Inspector General’s office within agencies.
This development comes amid ongoing tensions regarding the federal workforce structure and the legal protections provided to federal employees. Former President Donald Trump has previously indicated intentions to dismantle what he termed the “deep state,” with plans to reinstate policies that could make it easier to dismiss federal personnel in policy-related roles.
Opponents of the STRAFE Act, including Everett Kelley, President of the American Federation of Government Employees, regard the bill as an unnecessary overreach. Kelley stated, “This bill is purporting to solve a problem that does not exist. Federal employees are sworn to uphold the law and the Constitution and will continue to do their jobs regardless of who sits in the White House.”
Doreen Greenwald, National President of the National Treasury Employees Union, echoed these sentiments. She asserted that federal employees are already mandated by law to dutifully serve the president while maintaining a nonpartisan stance in their roles. “Unlike members of Congress, however, federal employees are nonpartisan and are prohibited from playing politics on the job,” she stated. “The law already requires them to perform the duties necessary to further their agencies’ mission in service to the American people.”
Marcus Hill, President of the Senior Executives Association, also expressed opposition to the STRAFE Act, arguing that the bill is redundant since federal employees are already obligated to adhere to lawful orders from political appointees, with effective measures for compliance already in place. Hill also criticized the bill’s intention to bypass independent inspectors general, suggesting that management of federal employee compliance should rest with agency leadership rather than political staff.
The STRAFE Act’s future remains uncertain as lawmakers and advocacy groups debate its implications for federal employment and administrative operations.
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