White House Must Approve Hires in New Federal Worker Category

Agencies looking to create new political positions under a recent order from President Donald Trump must have their plans approved directly by the White House, the Office of Personnel Management’s director said in a new memo.

The instructions pertain to a July 17 executive order creating a new class of political appointees that will turn over with each administration. The positions will have fewer civil service protections and will be chosen based on their “confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character,” Trump said in the order.

The Tuesday memo from OPM’s Scott Kupor contains basic instructions for how these new appointees, known as Schedule G, should be coded in the federal system. It states that the use of Schedule G appointments require approval from the OPM’s White House liaison and the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, solidifying Trump’s control. Agencies must coordinate appointments through OPM’s Executive and Schedule C System.

“President Trump is committed to recruiting the most patriotic and capable Americans for federal service,” Kupor said in a statement. “Schedule G brings needed flexibility to the process of appointing noncareer policy roles across government, to ensure key policy-determining and policy-advocating positions are staffed in alignment with the administration’s priorities.”