Stop Stealing Our Jobs Act
The Stop Stealing Our Jobs Act would prohibit the President or the head of any Executive agency from terminating, including as part of a reduction in force, any civil service employee during any period when there is a lapse in discretionary appropriations (i.e., a government shutdown due to funding gaps). In other words, during funding gaps, federal agencies could not fire or lay off federal workers who are part of the civil service, with the exception of political appointees. The bill provides definitions for key terms such as civil service, executive agency, political appointee, and political position to clarify who would be protected. The stated goal is to preserve the federal workforce during funding gaps and prevent job losses caused by shutdowns.
Key Points
- 1Prohibits removal of civil service employees during any lapse in discretionary appropriations, including reductions in force, by the President or heads of Executive agencies.
- 2Political appointees are not protected; they may be removed during a lapse in appropriations.
- 3Applies only during periods when there is a lapse in discretionary appropriations (i.e., government shutdowns or funding gaps), not during normal operations.
- 4Provides definitions:
- 5- Civil service and Executive agency follow standard definitions in 5 U.S.C. chapters referenced.
- 6- Political appointee = individual serving in a political appointment.
- 7- Political position includes: Executive Schedule roles (5 U.S.C. 5312-5316), noncareer Senior Executive Service (SES) positions, and Schedule C positions (confidential/policy-determining roles).
- 8The text provided does not specify penalties for violations or how enforcement would work, nor does it address other shutdown-related staffing actions like temporary furloughs or pay issues beyond terminations.