IFPTE Applauds the Introduction of the Saving Our Civil Service Act and Urges Congress to Pass This Necessary Anti-Corruption Bill
Union thanks Rep. Connolly, Rep. Fitzpatrick, and Sen. Kaine for
supporting competitive civil service and merit principles
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC – The executive officers of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), issued the following statement in endorsing the Saving Our Civil Service Act, legislation introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate that limits a presidential administration’s ability to convert civil service positions into excepted service positions, undermine merit system principles, and fire federal employees without due process or cause.
IFPTE President Matthew Biggs:
“IFPTE applauds Congressman Gerry Connolly, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, and Senator Tim Kaine for sponsoring the Saving Our Civil Service Act, bipartisan legislation that is one of our union’s highest priorities. This bill protects the nonpartisan competitive civil service so that our federal government continues to serve the best interests of the American public, including our national security – not personal and political allegiance. On day one of his administration, President Biden revoked the previous administration’s unilateral effort to create a new excepted service, called Schedule F, which would have caused tens of thousands of federal employees to lose due process protections and turned their nonpartisan civil service jobs into political appointments.
The Saving Our Civil Service Act is an anti-corruption and pro-democracy measure that is desperately needed to make sure a president cannot undermine the professionalism of our federal government, circumvent merit principles, put in jeopardy our national and homeland security, and jeopardize the continuity of government across changing administrations. Federal workers knowingly forfeit their right to participate in certain aspects of the political process, most notably those prohibited by the Hatch Act. They do so with the understanding that they will likewise be protected from that same political process when it comes to decisions regarding their hiring, promotion, pay, benefits, workplace conditions, and job security. IFPTE is committed to working in a bipartisan manner to make sure this legislation is enacted in the 118th Congress.”
IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson:
“IFPTE members working in the federal government play critical roles in supporting national defense, economic security, scientific research, and public safety, and providing essential services that Americans count on. Just as our members and all civil service employees have clear prohibitions on their ability to participate in partisan political activity in their workplace, so too should there be strong protections to make sure that no presidential administration can turn the clock back to the spoils system era when government jobs were awarded through political patronage, corruption, and unethical practices. Our union is encouraged to see bipartisan support in the House and strong support in the Senate for the introduction of the Saving Our Civil Service Act. This common-sense legislation upholds a key democratic institution — the federal civil service — which is essential to ensuring transparency, due process, good governance throughout federal agencies, and the efficient and effective use of taxpayer dollars.”
IFPTE is a labor union representing upwards of 90,000 workers in the federal, public, and private sectors.
###