On Friday, June 7, Trump ordered federalization of National Guard troops “to temporarily protect ICE and other United States Government personnel who are performing Federal functions, including the enforcement of Federal law, and to protect Federal property, at locations where protests against these functions are occurring or are likely to occur based on current threat assessments and planned operations.”
The presidential “memorandum” directed to the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Attorney General does what is commonly referred to as “federalizing the National Guard.” But that’s not a self-explanatory move.
The Office of Personnel Management now has new questions for civil service hires at GS-05 and above. These questions include political commitment to the Trump agenda:
“How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.”
GS-05 hires are NOT political policy positions. They do not and should not require any commitment to Trump policies and executive orders. GS-05 positions include jobs such as nurse, veterinary medical officer, construction manager, border patrol agent, and transportation security officer. These are civil service positions, which are supposed to be non-political, with hiring based on competence, not politics. They are supposed to be career jobs rather than political appointments that change with each president.
Monday. Netanyahu says the war in Gaza will be complete only when Hamas is destroyed.
Question #1: What is a “just war”? Hamas killed 1,218 people, mostly civilians in its 2023 attack on Israel and kidnapped 251 hostages. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 53,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians.
Question #2: In a “just war,” how many civilians may be killed in order to “destroy Hamas?” How many children?
One more House committee voted to slash Medicaid on Wednesday, continuing the Republican march toward gutting health care for poor people. The justification: saving money on Medicaid spending will pay to continue Trump tax cuts for the very rich.
Each day this week, I commit to doing one small thing—a phone call, a letter, a comment on a regulation. I’m going to walk through my commitment right here on the blog, which will keep me accountable and might also get a reader or two to join me.
“If only four out of the 220 Republican House members were to balk on Medicaid cuts, joining the 213 Democrats (there are two vacancies in the House), the measure would fail.”
The overwhelming majority of people in this country, Republicans as well as Democrats, oppose cuts to Medicaid.
Closeup of mural of Congressman John R. Lewis (1940-2020) (Photo by Thomas Cizauskas, published under Creative Commons license) — Artist: Sean Schwab Atlanta (Sweet Auburn), Georgia, USA. Painted 2012.
The Trump administration is trying to remove civil service protections from tens of thousands of federal employees. That will allow them to fire at will and to replace expert and professional employees with political loyalists.
Each day this week, I commit to doing one small thing—a phone call, a letter, a comment on a regulation. I’m going to walk through my commitment right here on the blog, which will keep me accountable and might also get a reader or two to join me. Information and suggestions for today’s action from “Can We Still Govern?”—Dan Moynihan’s Substack.
“Take the time you would have spent complaining about politics online, and use it to write a comment opposing the proposed Office of Personnel Management rule to politicize public services.You can do it in 5 minutes. Deadline is May 23rd!”
So you’ve never heard of commenting on a proposed rule? Writing a comment for the Federal Register sounds intimidating? Don’t worry—it’s not hard. Here’s why it matters and how to do it.
Why it matters:
[“Can We Still Govern?”] “The proposed rule seeks to reinstate Schedule F, Trump’s never implemented plan to institutionalize political control and loyalty tests for the career bureaucracy by turning 50,000 or more career civil servants into political appointees.”
Think about it.
With Schedule F protections gone, every administration can fire scientists whose findings they don’t like. They can fire researchers who collect information on unemployment, inflation, maternal deaths, discrimination in housing—everything. They can fire civil servants who do not profess complete political loyalty.
[“Can We Still Govern?”] “‘Schedule F’ (now renamed Schedule Policy/Career) is shorthand for an executive order that is a sharp break with civil service merit principles, which assume that career employees should be retained on the basis of performance and protected against political coercion. The US is already unusual in the degree to which it reserves the top layers of organizational leadership for short-term political appointees. Schedule F will vastly expand the number of appointees, adding a proposed 50,000 from the current 4000. It does so by involuntarily reclassifying career civil servants as appointees, removing job protections, the basic constraint against political interference.”
” This would cause particular harm at an agency like the Social Security Administration (SSA), where the Trump Administration and its so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have already pushed through radical staffing cuts that have jeopardized SSA’s ability to reliably deliver benefits to seniors and workers with severe disabilities. The rule would create a new “Schedule Policy/Career” (Schedule P/C) classification that could be used to get rid of thousands of additional civil servants at SSA, giving the Administration even more power to undermine Social Security. …
” On April 23, the Trump Administration published a proposed rule that would let the President unilaterally change the employment status of any civil servant in a position that he deems to be “policy-influencing.” Under the rule — which revives a similar proposal from the first Trump term known then as “Schedule F” — the administration could fire, suspend, demote, or reduce the pay of employees they classify as Schedule P/C without regard for performance or due process.”
What you can do:
Regulators are required by law to consider public comments on proposed new regulations. The comment process is open to the public. Regulators are required to respond to comments when they issue a final version of the regulation, including an explanation of why they have made changes or not made changes in response to comments.
“Federal comments really do matter. By law, they must be read by the administration, and substantive comments require a response. Failure to do so can see the rule tossed out by courts. …
“The volume of opposing comments matters, so writing something short and sweet is great. You don’t need to read the rule in depth or be an expert. The proposed rule is bad and protecting nonpartisan civil servants is good. See more details below or take a look at the comments people have already posted.”
Write your comment in the comment box. Or write your comment ahead of time and upload it as a file. Either way works.
Here’s my comment—short and not expert, but it will still count.
“I support continuation of civil service protection for public employees and I oppose the creation of the so-called “Schedule F.”
Schedule F would contribute to politicization of public employees. It would allow this and future administrations to prioritize political loyalty over professionalization and competence.
“I remember growing up knowing about civil service. My dad was active in DFL politics. Someone approached him for help in getting a job as a mail carrier. He explained to that individual—and to me—that it was not possible. Mail carriers were federal civil service employees. They were hired because of competence, not because of politics. As long as they did a good job, they would have a job.
“The individual who approached him for help was a Republican. He was also a good and competent person who got the job—and my father completely approved of that process. Even as a child, I knew this was important, and that civil service protection was an important part of our government.
“I oppose the withdrawal of that protection embodied in Schedule F.”
When the Border Patrol takes an immigrant’s papers—passport, documentation of persecution, medical records—who can get them back? When an immigration agent throws away medicines or clothes or precious family photos, who can hold them accountable? Who can hold officers accountable when they refuse to allow an immigrant to call their attorney? Right now, the answer is: probably no one.
On March 21, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) closed three critical oversight offices: Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO), Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), and the CIS Ombudsman. These offices previously served as independent oversight bodies to address complaints, ensure transparency, and advocate for systemic improvements in immigration processes.
Congressional websites have forms that you can use to send email, which usually is restricted to constituents. However, anyone can make a phone call. Here are the phone numbers for Minnesota Congress members and Senators.
The Trump administration sent 238 migrants to the cruel and abusive Salvadoran CECOT prison on March 15. The Trump administration continues efforts to send immigrants to third countries—countries other than their home countries, often countries with horrible human rights records. Investigation after investigation show that the majority of those sent to CECOT have no criminal records at all.
Four good news stories for the weekend, from Maine, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia, and Texas. The common thread: big wins over Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional bullying.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills stood up to bullying by Trump in a public meeting in January, telling him Maine would follow state law and the Constitution. When he continued threatening reprisals, she responded, “We’ll see you in court.”
That day in court came, with a lawsuit over the Trump administrations cuts to Maine school lunch programs. Mills and Maine won in court with a temporary restraining order on April 11, and now the Trump administration has backed down and agreed to a settlement that restores the funding.
Government corruption under the Trump/Musk regime is blatant and pervasive. In this post, I’ve organized the reports in four sections, with a final note from Dan Froomkin on the failure of the media to loudly and repeatedly callout the criminal corruption of the Trump/Musk regime.
Five years after the violent attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters, the attacks on democracy and on elected officials continue. Yesterday, two politicians currently under attack by the Trump administration spoke out with anger and eloquence.
The New York Times today has plenty of coverage of who, how, when, and where the United States illegally attacked Venezuela and abducted its president and first lady. But that’s far from the whole story. A few easily overlooked but essential facts: For informed insights on the consequences of Trump’s attack on Venezuela, see:
50 USC Ch. 33: WAR POWERS RESOLUTION §1541. Purpose and policy (a) Congressional declaration It is the purpose of this chapter to fulfill the intent of the framers of the Constitution of the United States and insure that the collective judgment of both the Congress and the President will apply to the introduction of United […]
Over at Law Dork, Chris Geidner has a great column on the four key lessons we can and must take from 2025. The first: pushing back is essential — and it works. I won’t try to summarize his column, but encourage you to go and read it and, if you can, support the good work […]
Jamal Khashoggi was a U.S. permanent legal resident and a columnist for the Washington Post in 2018 when Saudi operatives lured him to the Saudi consulate in Turkey, and then abducted, tortured, and murdered him. Then they cut up his body with a bone saw. U.S. intelligence agencies investigated and determined that his assassination was ordered by […]
Mary Turck is a writer, editor, and blogger. She is also the former editor of theTC Daily Planet and of the award-winning Connection to the Americas and AMERICAS.ORG and a recovering attorney.
Mary Turck