Fifteen organizations sent a letter to Senate and House Leaders and the Chairmen of the Armed Services Committees to urge them to stop attempts to politicize the federal civil service.
Washington, DC – Count Every Hero, along with 14 other organizations, called on Senate and House leaders and the Chairmen of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees to protect national security and the integrity of the federal civil service from politicization.
In the letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, the coalition emphasized the importance of maintaining a professional, merit-based civil service to ensure national security and uphold democratic values.
The coalition warned that attempts to politicize the civil service, such as the creation of Schedule F, pose a significant threat to national security. Schedule F would allow for the removal of career federal employees without due process, potentially replacing them with individuals loyal to political agendas rather than the Constitution and the rule of law.
The organizations underscored that over 70% of career civil servants are employed in national security-oriented federal agencies, where their expertise and impartiality are crucial for tasks like monitoring election interference, analyzing intelligence, enforcing sanctions, and coordinating nuclear nonproliferation efforts. Politicizing these positions could jeopardize the nation’s security and erode public trust in government institutions.
The coalition urged Congress to act swiftly to enact protections that preserve the professionalism and neutrality of the civil service to ensure that national security decisions are made based on merit and the best interests of the American people, rather than political considerations.
Read the full letter here.