Last week, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced the “Public Service Reform Act,” which, he insisted, “will boost the accountability of federal employees and efficiency of the federal government.”
Scott and his office offered some of the reasons behind the proposal.
“The Public Service Reform Act ensures that poor-performing employees can’t hide behind bureaucracy and continue to slow down the work of the federal government to serve American taxpayers. It is a disservice to hardworking public servants when their efforts are undermined by a few bad actors entrenched in the federal workforce,” Scott’s office noted. “The Public Service Reform Act would make all executive branch employees at-will, meaning they can face any adverse action, including removal, provided it is not a prohibited personnel practice, such as racial discrimination. The bill covers all executive branch employees and limits outside appeals after termination to claims of whistleblower retaliation and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaints. The Public Service Reform Act also eliminates the Merit Systems Protection Board, which would no longer have a purpose once all executive branch employees are made at-will.”
“I’ve spent my life leading organizations of every shape and size. Whether running a small donut shop, America’s largest health care company, or the great state of Florida, I know from firsthand experience the importance of having an effective and dedicated team that shares a common mission. It’s clear that the bureaucracy of the federal government is both a waste of taxpayer dollars and inefficient. Red tape and bloated federal agencies constantly slow down progress and hamper American innovation. It’s time to change Washington so it actually works for the American people. The Public Service Reform Act will boost accountability and responsiveness across the federal government by making all executive branch employees at-will. This is common sense and I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this good bill,” Scott said.
U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., is co-sponsoring the proposal.
“Washington is in desperate need of meaningful structural reform, and this bill is a step in the right direction. The Public Service Reform Act targets a source of frustration for many Americans – unelected bureaucrats in Washington with far too much power over the American people who are not accountable to anyone. I promised to fight back against the administrative state, and I’m proud to join Senator Scott on this important bill,” he said.
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is championing the bill in the U.S. House.
“It is far past time to reinstate accountability to the people for the federal bureaucracy by requiring that like any private sector employee, federal workers can be removed from their positions. Notwithstanding the majority of federal workers who faithfully serve, especially our law enforcement personnel, we should not allow a wall of red tape to shield those engaged in noncompliance with the law and brazen political partisanship. Federal employees should keep their jobs based on merit, just like the people they serve,” Roy said.
Scott’s bill was sent to the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
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