Trump administration to lift federal hiring freeze
WASHINGTON — The federal government hiring freeze implemented by President Donald Trump as one of his first acts in office will be lifted Wednesday. But budget director Mick Mulvaney says many jobs will remain unfilled as the White House embarks on a government-wide effort to overhaul the executive branch and significantly reduce its workforce.
Mulvaney told reporters Tuesday at a White House briefing that the move was part of the president’s campaign pledge to “drain the swamp” in Washington and save taxpayers money.
“It does not mean that the agencies will be free to hire willy-nilly,” he said. “What we’re doing tomorrow is replacing the across-the-board hiring freeze that we put into place on Day One in office and replacing it with a smarter plan, a more strategic plan, a more surgical plan.”
The president signed a memorandum in January freezing large portions of federal government hiring, while exempting the military and positions deemed necessary for national security and public safety. As part of the memorandum, Trump gave the Office of Management and Budget 90 days to come up with a long-term plan to reduce the federal government’s size.