OPM, OMB nominees praise ‘at-will’ employment at confirmation hearing

Two of President Trump’s picks to lead federal HR and the management division of the White House budget office evaded questions related to the administration’s early-term efforts to downsize the federal workforce and sang the praises of at-will employment before a Senate panel Thursday.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday took testimony from Scott Kupor, who has been tapped to serve as the director of the Office of Personnel Management, and Eric Ueland, Trump’s pick to be the Office of Management and Budget’s deputy director for management.

Kupor is a long-time venture capital executive with Andreesen Horowitz, while Ueland is a former congressional staffer turned political appointee during Trump’s first term. He currently is serving at OMB’s acting chief of staff while he awaits confirmation, though he said Thursday he has “tried to stay away” from issues tackled by the deputy director for management since his nomination.

Kupor told senators that the federal government must cease operating under a budget deficit, and that means making “tough choices” about what services agencies offer. Still, he said officials should “respect the dignity and humanity” of federal workers as they eliminate functions and positions.

But when asked about the Trump administration’s efforts thus far to reduce the size of the federal workforce, including the deferred resignation program, mass firings of probationary workers—both those newly hired and newly promoted—and the announcement of large-scale reductions in force, he seemed to equivocate.

“Does it make sense to start a restructuring by firing folks who have just been promoted because of their outstanding performance?” asked Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., the committee’s top Democrat.

“It’s very hard to comment,” Kupor said.

“Well generally, would you do that?” Peters asked. “Does that make good sense?”

“I’ve been very clear that the process requires transparency and communication, and we need to respect the humanity of the workforce,” Kupor said.

“So you’re troubled by that?” Peters asked.

“I think the right way to do that is through communication and respecting the rights and roles of employees,” Kupor said.

Peters questioned both nominees regarding Trump’s executive order last week aiming to strip two-thirds of the federal workforce—1.5 million people—of their collective bargaining rights under the guise of national security.

“Does it concern you that the executive order signed last week . . . might make [labor-management] engagement more challenging?” he asked.

“My understanding is that order recognizes that the president can designate certain areas associated with national security, where federal labor employment may be less relevant than in other places,” Kupor said. "I haven't had a chance to study it in detail, but I certainly will do so.”

“I’m actually excited about the opportunity that the executive order lays out for giving the federal government the ability to align mission with responsibility and ensure that at the end of the day, as Mr. Kupor has testified, we have the highest quality and highest qualified workforce assigned appropriately to the mission, tasks and responsibility of the federal government itself,” Ueland said.

Ueland also spoke glowingly of the prospect of stripping federal workers of their civil service protections.