Trump administration threatens layoffs in fight to eliminate major federal agency

[txradioguy]

Trump administration officials have put the Office of Personnel Management on the chopping block in an ambitious but controversial bid to reorganize the federal government -- and they are ready to furlough or even lay off workers if Congress stands in their way.

According to an internal document obtained by The Washington Post, workers could be sent home on Oct. 1 and laid off 30 days later, if Congress will not agree to their plan to eliminate the agency -- which essentially serves as HR of the federal government.

“This is a crisis building for years,” acting OPM Director Margaret Weichert told the Post. Weichert said furloughs are a “last resort we are trying to avoid,” and that “a legislative solution would be the most straightforward answer.”

The administration’s plan is to eliminate the OPM, which manages 2.1 million civilian federal workers, and divide its roles among three other agencies. Recent legislation has already called for its security clearance system to move to the Department of Defense. Most of OPM’s responsibilities would fall under the General Services Administration, and a new GSA deputy who would be appointed by the president to take over for OPM’s current agency director.

Fox News has reached out to OPM for comment.

According to administration officials, the OPM’s current problems include a backlog of retirement-related paperwork, poor hiring practices and weaknesses in their security that left them open to a breach of their data system.

Weichert has stressed the urgency of the situation, reportedly telling staff she is “planning to play chicken with Congress.” She told the Post the administration has “made it very clear we can’t wait without action.”

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-threatens-layoffs-eliminate-agency

[bilo]

The administration’s plan is to eliminate the OPM, which manages 2.1 million civilian federal workers, and divide its roles among three other agencies. Recent legislation has already called for its security clearance system to move to the Department of Defense. Most of OPM’s responsibilities would fall under the General Services Administration, and a new GSA deputy who would be appointed by the president to take over for OPM’s current agency director.

Sounds like a smart restructuring. I bet the administrative state party, the Rats, will fight it. Anything that will reduce govt employment and power the Rats will fight.