This week, Senator Mark Kelly and the Senate Democratic Caucus urged President Donald Trump to withdraw an executive order that could impact the collective bargaining rights of federal employees. The executive order designates most federal workers as holding national security roles and has been criticized for exceeding presidential powers. According to the Office of the Arizona Senator, Democrats view the order as a threat to the federal merit-based civil service.
"We write today in outrage over your recent executive order entitled Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs, a gross overreach of the authority granted in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA)," the senators said in a letter. They stated that the order could disrupt federal labor agreements, which have allowed employees to effectively serve the public. The letter raised concerns that the administration does not fully understand federal collective bargaining agreements and could weaken protections for civil servants. It also suggested that the order may create a political litmus test for government employees, which could threaten the neutrality of the civil service. The letter was supported by unions such as the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations and American Federation of Government Employees, as reported by the Office of the Arizona Senator.
Senate Democrats sent a letter stating, "There is no evidence that the long-standing collective bargaining agreements at these agencies have jeopardized our nation’s security in any way." They emphasized the importance of collective bargaining in protecting federal employees' rights, including the ability to report abuses or fraud. The senators urged the Trump administration, "We urge you to immediately rescind this illegal executive order so that our dedicated public servants can continue to work on behalf of the American public without fear for their job or political retribution." The letter, supported by labor unions, has drawn attention as the administration has yet to respond, as stated by the Office of the Arizona Senator.
