Travelers are screened at a security checkpoint at George Bush Intercontinental Airport Friday, March 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Marking one year since a major State Department RIF, former federal employees warned the loss of expertise has harmed national security and global stability.
Once OPM's final rule takes effect, agencies will have to cap the share of federal employees who can receive high ratings on their performance evaluations.
After losing civil service protections, some federal employees now in Schedule Policy/Career fear for their job security and retribution for speaking up.
FILE - This April 19, 2019 file photo shows a sign for the Department of Defense at the Pentagon in Washington. The Biden administrationβs nominee for top Pentagon policy adviser was met with sharp criticism from Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday, including accusations that he has been too partisan to be confirmed for the job. Colin Kahl, who served as national security adviser to then-Vice President Joe Biden during the Obama administration, faced repeated questions on his previous support for the Iran nuclear deal and how he would approach that issue now. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
The closures will impact about 500 BOP employees. Their union warns that the agencyβs decision will exacerbate an already difficult workforce situation.
FILE - A sign for the Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons is displayed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York, July 6, 2020. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, to overhaul oversight and bring greater transparency to the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of PrisonsΒ following reporting from The Associated Press that exposed systemic corruptionΒ in the federal prison system and increased congressional scrutiny. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
Internal documents contradict statements from USDA leaders, who repeatedly said they did not anticipate relocations would lead to widespread staffing losses.
The new lawsuits follow other pending legal challenges against EPA, related to a June 2025 βdeclaration of dissentβ signed by hundreds of agency workers.