President Trump has reopened one of Washington’s oldest conflicts by signing an executive order on June 3, 2026, titled “Implementing Schedule Policy/Career in the Excepted Service.” The move shifts policy-influencing career federal positions into a new accountability framework, placing elected presidents directly at odds with the permanent federal bureaucracy.

FedScoop reported nearly 8,000 federal roles are being transferred under the order, following the administration’s earlier estimate that up to 50,000 workers could move into the revised schedule. The White House described the purpose of the order: “Officials in confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, and policy-advocating roles (policy-influencing positions) play particularly important roles in helping him fulfill this constitutional duty. Therefore, ensuring that such employees can be removed for misconduct or poor performance is essential to protecting democratic self-government by an elected President.”

The order addresses systemic challenges in federal accountability, noting that adverse action procedures—requiring removals for misconduct or underperformance—have been exceptionally difficult to enforce. Only about 40% of federal supervisors believe they could remove subordinates engaging in serious misconduct, and just a quarter think they could address serious underperformers. Additionally, two-thirds of senior federal executives report their agencies rarely reassign or dismiss underperforming managers.

Covered agency heads must notify affected employees within seven days and update agency records to reflect the change. The initiative targets policy-influencing roles—the individuals whose decisions directly shape how the President’s agenda is implemented across the executive branch. Critics have framed this shift as an attack on civil service, while the administration emphasizes merit-based appointments and accountability for performance or misconduct.