The executive order, issued Wednesday, creates a new classification of federal employees titled "Schedule F" for employees serving in "confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating positions" that typically do not change during a presidential transition. The push back was fierce, with the largest union for federal employees calling the order the "most profound undermining of the civil service in our lifetimes." Trump's executive order would also strip hundreds of thousands of federal workers of their due process rights and protections, according to Kelley. According to the White House, the order does not impact the Senior Executive Service, top employees who serve just below presidential appointees. The directive also changes hiring for the roles from "competitive service," which is majority of the civil service positions, to "excepted service."

Source: CNN October 23, 2020 15:11 UTC