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The Biden Administration’s New Move to Protect Civil Servants May Be Little Solace

“The threat of a politicized civil service is too great, and too real, for this to be the end of our efforts,” Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly said.

Office of Personnel Management
President Joe Biden’s new rule is meant to protect civil servants. But will it work? Mark Schiefelbein/AP

The Biden administration is implementing a new rule that would make it more difficult for presidents to fire civil servants, as former President Donald Trump and his allies make clear they would want to do if Trump wins the presidency in November.

But the new rule would not be enough to stop those plans, according to both its supporters and opponents.

“The threat of a politicized civil service is too great, and too real, for this to be the end of our efforts,” Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly said in a statement applauding the new rule and calling for further legislation, which he said is “the only permanent solution to a problem that is not going away any time soon.”