WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Rep. Kweisi Mfume, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce, and Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, issued the following statements after the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced a new rule that reinforces and clarifies protections for members of the nonpartisan career civil service:
“Civil servants are the nucleus of our federal workforce and provide the continuity needed to keep our government operating efficiently. I applaud the Office of Personnel Management for working with my congressional colleagues and me on this rule, because hardworking public servants deserve to be protected from the volatility of electoral politics. I am pleased we have a final rule adopted,” said Ranking Member Mfume.
“The American people rely on the technical expertise of career civil servants to deliver essential services like critical aid in disasters, medical care for veterans, transportation and infrastructure investment, and public health advice. The President’s job under the Constitution is to take care that all the laws of the people are ‘faithfully executed,’ not demolished at the whim of a despot. A nonpartisan civil service is essential to governmental effectiveness and fairness because who you vote for should never affect your rightful access to government benefits and services. This regulation will work to protect a civil service that implements the laws of the people and protects the rights and benefits of the people against partisan manipulation,” said Ranking Member Raskin.
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