House Dems: Immediately reinstate fired feds – Government Executive

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., speaking outside the O’Neill Federal Building in Boston on Feb. 19, during a protest against layoffs and budget cuts.

Brett Phelps/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Stay Connected
Erich Wagner
A group of 85 House Democrats on Friday called on the Office of Special Counsel to broaden its effort to protect federal workers who were recently hired, promoted or transferred from the recent wave of mass firings across the federal government.Earlier this week, OSC requested that the Merit Systems Protection Board issue a 45-day stay in the firing decisions of six federal employees who were still in their probationary periods, a request that MSPB granted. In a separate lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Northern California, a federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to rescind the directives undergirding the probationary purge, finding that the Office of Personnel Management did not have the authority to authorize the firings.In a letter to Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, himself recently reinstated to his post by court order, the lawmakers, led by Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., urged him to expand his stay request to cover all probationary workers who have been fired in recent days.According to OPM data as of May 2024, more than 200,000 federal workers have been hired within the last year. New hires still on their probationary period have abridged civil service protections but may still appeal their firings to the MSPB, while recently transferred or promoted employees who have served longer than one year retain their full due process protections from their service prior to their change in position or agency.“We write to applaud the Office of Special Counsel for its recent decision to recommend halting the termination of probationary federal workers,” the lawmakers wrote. “This recommendation has profound implications for the livelihoods of nearly 200,000 federal government employees and the essential services they provide to the American public. In response to the ongoing assault on our federal government, we strongly encourage the Office of Special Counsel to ensure all unfairly fired civil servants are immediately rehired and protected from greater abuse.”OSC said earlier this week that Dellinger is examining the potential expansion the agency’s findings to cover others impacted by the recent purge, without a need for individual filings with OSC or MSPB.”The special counsel believes other probationary employees are similarly situated to the six workers for whom he currently is seeking relief,” the agency said in a statement Monday. “Dellinger is considering ways to seek relief for a broader group without the need for individual filings with OSC.” Pressley and her colleagues also urged Dellinger to consider penalties for the officials who advanced and implemented the initiative to target probationary workers.“While your recent recommendation specifically applies to named complainants, it must be broadened and finalized to cover every impacted government worker,” they wrote. “Additionally, the agency officials who carried out the illegal scheme must face serious disciplinary action. Congress has empowered OSC and the Merit Systems Protection Board with the investigatory, prosecutorial and enforcement authority necessary to counter the unlawful abuses of power, and we stand ready to assist in that effort.”Related articlesJudge orders Trump administration to rescind directives on probationary employee firingsUnions call on senators to ‘defund’ Trump’s workforce purges

How are these changes affecting you? Share your experience with us:
Eric Katz: ekatz@govexec.com, Signal: erickatz.28
Sean Michael Newhouse: snewhouse@govexec.com, Signal: seanthenewsboy.45
Erich Wagner: ewagner@govexec.com; Signal: ewagner.47
NEXT STORY:

Unions call on senators to ‘defund’ Trump’s workforce purges

Help us tailor content specifically for you:

Source: https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/02/house-dems-immediately-reinstate-fired-feds/403379/