Lawsuit Filed Against Trump’s 'Schedule F' Order Targeting Federal Workers

A federal employee union has filed a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s recent executive order establishing a new category of federal employees — "Schedule F" — that would enable those involved in policymaking to be hired and fired with the ease of political appointees.

The executive order, issued Monday, revives a concept first proposed in the closing months of Trump’s initial presidency. The plan would allow the administration to bypass the traditional merit-based hiring system for federal employees, raising concerns about potential politicization of the federal workforce.

“Congress has enacted comprehensive legislation governing the hiring and employment of federal employees,” the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) stated in the lawsuit filed late Monday. “When establishing hiring principles, Congress determined that most federal government jobs be in the merit-based, competitive service. And it established that most federal employees  have due process rights if their agency employer wants to remove them from employment.”

The NTEU argued that Trump's executive order violates congressional intent by stripping federal employees of their established due process rights.

In his order, Trump criticized the current federal workforce system, claiming it lacked sufficient accountability.

“These personnel are entrusted to shape and implement actions that have a significant impact on all Americans. Any power they have is delegated by the President, and they must be accountable to the President,” the order states.

Critics of "Schedule F" argue that it opens the door to inserting political considerations into routine government operations. They fear the move could allow the administration to reward loyalists and sideline career bureaucrats, undermining nonpartisan decision-making.

Federal agencies, which are typically staffed by career professionals hired for their expertise, are overseen by political appointees selected by the president. However, Trump allies have suggested dramatically increasing the number of political positions, from approximately 4,000 to as many as 50,000.

While the administration defends the order as a way to ensure accountability and presidential control, unions and watchdog organizations warn that it risks eroding the professional, nonpartisan nature of the federal workforce.

The lawsuit marks the latest battle in an ongoing debate over the balance of power between political appointees and career civil servants, with implications for the operation and integrity of government institutions.