The White House on Wednesday ordered a plan to reduce and streamline the federal government, replacing the hiring freeze President Trump implemented upon taking office in January. The directive was ordered Wednesday along with a 14-page plan to federal agencies that details the president’s objective to hire in areas of high priority and cut back in others. The memorandum Trump signed in January imposed an across-the-board hiring freeze for essentially the entire federal government, except for the military and for positions deemed necessary for national security and public safety. As part of the memorandum, Trump gave Mulvaney three months to come up with a long-term plan to reduce the federal government's size. Several departments, including the State Department, were granted exemptions from the hiring freeze after voicing concerns.

Source: Fox News April 12, 2017 14:49 UTC