Trump Signs 'Schedule Policy/Career' EO on Day 500 — Strips Civil Service Protections from ~8,000 Senior Federal Workers

On June 3, 2026 — Day 500 of Trump's second term — President Trump signed an executive order formally implementing 'Schedule Policy/Career,' a new federal employment classification that strips civil service job protections from approximately 8,000 senior-level career federal employees, primarily at GS-15 and above. The order targets senior advisers, policy analysts, directors, chiefs of staff, and others with 'significant involvement' in drafting regulations or determining who receives federal grants. Workers reclassified into Schedule Policy/Career can be removed for misconduct, poor performance, corruption, or subversion of Presidential directives without the exhaustive procedural appeals available to standard civil service employees. Earlier OPM estimates had suggested the classification could eventually cover 50,000–200,000 positions; the final order is limited to approximately 8,000 — about 97% at GS-15 or above. The order received over 40,000 public comments during the April 2025 regulatory process, with approximately 94% opposed. Federal unions, employee organizations, good government groups, and Democratic lawmakers immediately condemned the order as politicizing the civil service and undermining non-partisan expertise.