Media Matters for America has submitted a public comment to the Office of Personnel Management in support of a proposed rule that would strengthen protections for the federal civil service. The proposal is needed to protect against an ascendant right-wing agenda, buoyed by the conservative media, that seeks to purge experienced and politically neutral civil servants from key roles in the federal government and replace them with ideologues willing to violate the Constitution. Extremist forces have clearly articulated the wide ranging goals of this project, which span from attacking immigrants to undermining equal administration of the law to unlawful use of the military against civilians and more.

This movement, which centers around a proposal called Schedule F, is driven by a right-wing desire to erode the sacrosanct division between church and state. Russ Vought, president of the Center for Renewing America, a far-right think tank, has said he wants to draft an “army” of conservative activists with a “biblical worldview” to staff the federal bureaucracy under the next Republican administration.

The federal civil service was a key bulwark protecting the will of the voters in the chaotic aftermath of the 2020 election. Protecting the political neutrality and expertise of federal employees is imperative for the future of democracy and necessitates the implementation of the Office of Personnel Management’s proposed rule.

Read Media Matters' full public comment below.

Media Matters Public Comment on Proposed OPM Rule by Media Matters for America on Scribd