Staff Reports
The Senate is starting to resemble a game of chess between Donald Trump and the Democrats, but this time, the stakes are higher than just a checkmate. With Trump poised to return to the White House and Senate Republicans set to regain majority status, it seems Democrats are trying to reinforce their defenses against an imminent GOP strategy that’s likely focused on trimming the fat from the bloated federal workforce.
In a recent attempt, Senate Democrats introduced the Saving the Civil Service Act, which aims to make it as hard as possible for the incoming administration to fire federal bureaucrats. Surprisingly, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia thinks this is a fantastic idea, arguing that federal workers need protection from being fired as Trump prepares to take office again. The irony is thick enough to cut — it seems they believe in job security for bureaucrats while conveniently ignoring the larger picture of governmental efficiency, especially when the federal workforce only seems to grow and grow.
This is yet another effort by Democrats to Trump-proof before January 20th.
I’m not standing for it.
Change is coming.https://t.co/wikRcqNn1P
— Senator Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt) December 18, 2024
Senator Eric Schmitt from Missouri wasn’t having any of it the other day when he blocked Kaine’s request for unanimous consent. He pointed out the excess bureaucratic power that has been allowed to flourish in the nation’s capital and noted that Trump’s agenda hinges on creating a leaner government. The Democrats, in their typical fashion, appear desperate to enact measures that would shield the bureaucratic establishment from the incoming Trump administration’s potential upheaval of the status quo. Rather than facing a vote, they hoped for a quick blessing, but Schmitt’s objection made it clear that those days are over — at least for now.
Kaine and his fellow Democrats fear that Trump plans to do what many Americans have been shouting for: slashing those inefficiencies and reshaping the federal workforce. The notion of President Trump turning the civil service into a fleet of political appointees must be nightmare fuel for Democrats, but many conservatives are betting that such a recalibration is what’s needed for government to actually serve the American people, rather than bureaucratic games.
To make things even juicier, Schmitt took to social media, proudly proclaiming his efforts to thwart the Democrats’ last-ditch attempt to ‘Trump-proof’ Washington. He slammed their plans to protect federal workers while the bureaucracy stands idle, with around 84% of these workers opting not to show up in the capital on any given day. It begs the question: who exactly are the Democrats looking to shield? The hardworking Americans or the inefficiencies that have plagued Washington for decades?
Come January 2025, it appears a wave of reform is expected to hit DC — and let’s be honest, it’s not coming from the left. As Democrats scramble to secure their long-standing interests, the Republican strategies take shape, promising a significantly different approach. One can only hope that as these bureaucratic battles continue, the voice of the American people rings louder than the echo of Washington’s entrenched interests.
