Trump plans to fire federal employees faster

Let’s begin with an acknowledgment that firing federal employees can be long and cumbersome because of civil service procedures. Let’s also acknowledge the importance of procedures protecting civil servants from being fired at will, like a contestant on a Trump reality show.

The public is the main beneficiary of civil service laws that also protect employee rights.

Trump says he wants to “make the VA great again by firing the corrupt and incompetent VA executives.” His 10-point plan to change the VA says he will “use the powers of the presidency to remove and discipline the federal employees and managers who have violated the public’s trust.”

Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, said “President-elect Trump has made clear that reforming the department’s broken civil-service system is a top priority.”