Senate Democrats criticize State Department personnel shift under Trump order

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Senate Democrats criticize State Dept. shift

Highlights

U.S. Senators Shaheen, Kaine, and Van Hollen criticize President Trump's executive order shifting senior State Department roles to Schedule Policy/Career in the excepted service.
The senators warn the move exposes senior civil service positions to increased political pressure, potentially undermining nonpartisan expertise in federal agencies.
They link the staffing change to heightened national security risks and stress the need for experienced, constitutionally loyal civil servants amid rising costs from Trump's conflict with Iran.

Senators challenge staffing change at State Department

As reported by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Tim Kaine and Chris Van Hollen issue a joint statement after President Trump signs an executive order to implement Schedule Policy/Career in the excepted service.

The senators say the transfer of senior-level positions into the new category is another example of what they call the Trump administration's politicization of the civil service. They argue the move does not improve accountability or merit-based management and instead leaves those positions open to undue political pressure.

National security and civil service concerns

The statement links the staffing change to broader concerns about the role of nonpartisan expertise inside the federal government. The senators say U.S. national security is put at risk if senior civil service officials become more vulnerable to political influence.

They also argue that the government needs experienced civil servants who are loyal to the Constitution and serve the public interest, particularly during a period they describe as marked by rising costs tied to President Trump's war with Iran.

Our earlier coverage of Bill Pulte’s appointment as acting Director of National Intelligence examined Senator Elizabeth Warren’s warning that the pick could create national security risks and weaken intelligence oversight. The article highlighted allegations that Pulte misused sensitive information in prior roles and raised concerns that intelligence authorities could be steered toward political aims, intensifying scrutiny of politically driven selections for top security posts.

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