FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Barry Loudermilk rolled out a measure Thursday that would reform and restructure the federal workforce by focusing on hiring and retaining officials on a merit basis, modeling employee dismissal with that of the private sector, Fox News Digital has learned.
Loudermilk, R-Ga., re-introduced the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement and Transformation (MERIT) Act on Thursday in an effort to hold “inefficient, corrupt government bureaucrats accountable.”
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The rollout comes after President Donald Trump signed several Day One executive actions focused on reforming the federal workforce.
“Over the past four years, most Americans feared the federal government and its ability to unjustly wield power and have become tired of funding the fraud, waste, and abuse within our bloated federal bureaucracy,” Loudermilk told Fox News Digital. “With President Trump back in office, and the passage of my MERIT Act, Americans will have a government they can be proud of again, not one they fear and distrust.”
Loudermilk says he intends to “return our government to one that works for the people, not one that works for self-interests or political agendas.”
Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., chairs the House Administration Committee Subcommittee on Oversight hearing on “Oversight of the U.S. Capitol Police Office of Inspector General” on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. (Getty Images )
The bill would address misconduct and poor performance by repealing the Chapter 43 special process for action against poor performers and bad actors, which Loudermilk said is “unnecessarily time-consuming,” and instead, streamlines the Chapter 75 process for removal or suspension of employees and supervisors.
The bill also permits agencies to remove a senior executive from the civil service for performance reasons, rather than merely demoting the individual to a non-Senior Executive Service (SES) position.
The MERIT Act also authorizes agencies to order recoupment of bonuses and awards when performance or conduct issues are discovered and it is determined the bonus or award would not have been paid had those issues been known at the time.
The bill also affects the retirement benefits of employees who are removed based on a felony conviction for actions taken in furtherance of official duties. The period of service during which the felonious activities occurred will be eliminated for purposes of any annuity computation under the bill.
“The reforming of the federal government must begin with a dedicated, efficient, and committed workforce, which is why the MERIT Act is an essential step in fixing our broken system,” Loudermilk said. “Our federal employment system should reward hard work and dedication; however, the current federal employment code protects poor performers and corruption.”
President Trump gives his second presidential inaugural address on Jan. 20, 2024. (Fox News)
Loudermilk said he has been working on the bill for “several years” and that “now is the time to reform our outdated system.”
“MERIT would create a more efficient and effective government that works for the benefit of the American people,” he said. “It would restructure the federal employment code by modeling employee dismissal with that of the private sector, and lessen the time it takes to root out misconduct and poor performers.”
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Loudermilk told Fox News Digital he is “encouraged” that Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will “complement MERIT.”
“I look forward to working with them and my colleagues to get it passed in the U.S. House,” Loudermilk said.
The bill’s original co-sponsors are Reps. Buddy Carter, Mike Collins, Erin Houchin, Burgess Owens, Anna Paulina Luna, Scott Franklin, Dan Webster, Tracy Mann, Dan Meuser, Brian Babin, Claudia Tenney, Jim Baird, Greg Steube and Tim Burchett.
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The rollout of the legislation comes as Trump has already taken steps to reform the workforce during his first week in office.
Trump directed all agencies and departments to close their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) offices by Wednesday evening and place all DEI office employees on paid administrative leave.
Trump issued two other executive actions on Tuesday targeting DEI: An executive order to end discrimination in the workplace and higher education through race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of DEI, and a memo to eliminate a Biden administration policy that prioritized DEI hiring at the Federal Aviation Administration.
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By the end of the day Friday, Trump ordered all agency and department heads to notify their workforce of a return to in-person, in-office work. The White House has recommended a target return-to-work start date for 30 days from the original notice.
