In response to President Donald Trump’s latest executive order, “Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)’ Workforce Optimization Initiative,” NARFE National President William “Bill” Shackelford issued the following statement:
“Rather than advancing efficiency, this order will result in the end of certain government operations that Congress has directed through the budget process. While the president has substantial discretion in executing government operations, simply refusing to carry out certain functions by gutting the entire workforce needed to carry them out infringes on Congress’ Article I powers.
“Beyond the complete cessation of certain government activity, reducing the size of the workforce threatens to undermine government actions taken on behalf of the American people, or simply shift spending from the federal workforce to government contractors, a total which is nearly double the number of federal employees.
“The White House ‘Fact Sheet’ supporting the executive order simply states, ‘There are too many federal employees,’ without providing any supporting evidence other than the number of federal employees. The reality is the size of the federal workforce has decreased slightly over the last five decades, while the U.S. population and labor force has increased substantially.”
“The ‘Fact Sheet’ also indicates the White House does not have a basic understanding of what federal agencies they direct, stating incorrectly, ‘No one knows how many federal agencies exist.’ While commonsense reorganizations may improve efficiency and remove duplication, it’s hard to have any faith that a White House staff that’s seemingly incapable of identifying the agencies that would be involved are up to the task.”
As the only organization solely dedicated to the general welfare of all federal workers and retirees, NARFE delivers valuable guidance, timely resources and powerful advocacy. For more than 100 years, NARFE has been a trusted source of knowledge for the federal community, Capitol Hill, the executive branch and the media.
