Publication | Executive Actions Monitor

    Executive Actions Affecting
    Federal Workforce

    2025 Presidential Actions
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    These executive order (EO) summaries are based on a cursory review; our lawyers and policy professionals continue to analyze these documents, and the directives they contain. Among other things, some of the directed actions may present significant constitutional questions that could be litigated and subsequently overturned or blocked.


    February 26, 2025

    Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Cost Efficiency Initiative

    An EO directing agency heads to take various actions aimed at reducing federal spending. Among other measures, the EO directs agency heads to implement centralized systems for recording and justifying agency payments, review contracts and grants, update contracting policy guidance, assess all property leases and place a 30-day freeze on employee credit cards. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    February 19, 2025

    Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy

    An EO directing several actions to reduce the size of the federal government, including the termination of the Presidential Management Fellows Program and various federal advisory committees. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    February 19, 2025

    President Trump Announces Appointments to the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

    A directive appointing several individuals to the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
     
    February 12, 2025

    Nominations Sent to the Senate

    A directive nominating multiple individuals to key positions across the federal government.
     
    February 12, 2025

    One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations

    An EO directing the Secretary of State to reform the Foreign Service and the administration of foreign relations to ensure faithful and effective implementation of the President’s foreign policy agenda. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    February 11, 2025

    Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative

    An EO directing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop a plan to reduce the size of the federal workforce. The plan is to require agencies to hire no more than one employee for every four departures. Additionally, agency heads must create data-driven strategies to prioritize hiring in high-need areas and prepare for large-scale reductions in force (RIFs), excluding positions related to public safety, immigration enforcement and law enforcement. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    February 10, 2025

    Eliminating the Federal Executive Institute

    An EO eliminating the Federal Executive Institute. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    January 31, 2025

    Limiting Lame-Duck Collective Bargaining Agreements That Improperly Attempt to Constrain the New President

    A memorandum prohibiting executive departments and agencies from finalizing collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with employees in the 30 days prior to a change in presidential administrations. It further instructs agency heads to disapprove of any CBA that has not yet been approved and that does not comply with the requirements of the memorandum.
     
    January 30, 2025

    Immediate Assessment of Aviation Safety

    An EO directing the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to review all hiring decisions and changes to safety protocols made during the prior four years, and to take action as necessary to achieve uncompromised aviation safety, including the replacement of any individuals who do not meet qualification standards.
     
    January 21, 2025

    Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation

    An EO directing the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administrator to immediately discontinue all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hiring practices. It also directs the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administrator to undertake a review of the past performance and performance standards of all individuals in critical safety positions and take all appropriate actions to replace any individual who has failed to demonstrate the requisite capability. A fact sheet on the EO can be found on the White House website.
     
    January 20, 2025

    Restoring Accountability for Career Senior Executives

    A memorandum directing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director to coordinate with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director to issue Senior Executive Service (SES) Performance Plans for agencies to adopt. The action directs agency heads to terminate their existing Executive Resources Board (ERB) and institute a new or interim ERB, as well as terminate their existing Performance Review Board membership and replace membership with individuals focused on enforcing SES performance evaluations.
     
    January 20, 2025

    Restoring Accountability to Policy-influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce

    An EO reinstating the creation of Schedule F – retitled as Schedule Policy/Career – in the Excepted Service and directing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to issue guidance on additional categories of positions that should be placed in Schedule Policy/Career.
     
    January 20, 2025

    Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service

    An EO mandating reforms to federal hiring practices to focus on merit, skill and commitment to the constitution. The EO directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to develop and distribute a federal hiring plan to increase efficiency of hiring and recruiting efforts.
     
    January 20, 2025

    Return to In-person Work

    A memorandum directing federal employees to return to full-time, in-person work.
     
    January 20, 2025

    Hiring Freeze

    A memorandum freezing the hiring of federal civilian employees, excluding military and certain other national security and public safety positions, and directing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in consultation with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to submit a plan to reduce the size of the federal workforce.
     
    January 20, 2025

    Memorandum to Resolve the Backlog of Security Clearances for Executive Office of the President Personnel

    A memorandum ordering the immediate granting of security clearances to a list of individuals prepared by the Office of White House Counsel and granting that office the authority to revoke interim clearances.