June 26, 2018, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement announcing that the organization will be flying a FIRETHESWAMP.COM banner from 66E to the D.C. Beltway on June 27 from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., weather permitting by http://airads.com:

“Flying a FIRETHESWAMP.COM banner around the Washington, D.C. beltway is visually raising the flag that limited government principles and individual rights will not be taken away by an out-of-control bureaucracy. That way, the bureaucrats Already, President Trump’s executive order to rein in official time is a good first step, and we call on Congress to enact further steps including legislation by U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk bill that will expedite the firing process, The Merit Act, in alignment with the already enacted firing procedures at the VA.

“The past few weeks have shown how many in the federal civil service have abused their authority in pursuit of political ends. Unfortunately this is the norm due to the pervasive influence of public employee unions and their non-stop push to grow government. President Trump promised to drain the swamp, but he can’t do it unless he and his administration can fire the swamp.”

Attachments:

Flight plan for FIRETHESWAMP.COM on June 27, 2018 at https://getliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/2018-06-27-VA-Swamp-Banner-Flight-Plan-Map.jpg

The plane will be traveling at 60 MPH. 7 a.m. heading along 66E from Front Royal on the south side of the highway, arriving in Fairfax, Va. at 7:50 a.m. heading along 236E arriving on south side, arriving in Annandale at 8 a.m. and then heading down 95S on the west side, arriving in Montclair at 8:20 a.m., heading northwest along 234, arriving in Manassas at 8:35 a.m., heading east along Braddock Road, arriving at 495 again at 8:55 a.m., heading southwest toward Independent Hill arriving at 9:05 a.m., turning northwest again, arriving at Manassas again at 9:15 a.m., and then heading back to 66W at 9:20 a.m., and heading westward on the north side of 66, arriving at Front Royal at 10 a.m.

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1003 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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May 25, 2018, Fairfax, Va.–Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising President Donald Trump for issuing executive orders including one that limits union official time:

“Taxpayers have for too long been subsidizing federal employee unions through the salaries, offices and travel expenses of their employees. President Trump’s executive orders at least partially rectify the situation by limiting how many hours can be spent on union business saving taxpayers $100 million. There is nothing more galling to limited government advocates than public employee unions being largely subsidized by taxpayer dollars while using their dues payments to support politicians in favor of expanding government. If unions want to continue the level of services that they have been presumably been providing their federal public employee union members, they should raise the dues to accommodate those needs. Currently about 27 percent of the federal civilian workforce are members of public employee unions.

“These executive orders should be followed up by a change in federal employee union dues collection whereby federal employees should request dues payments deductions from their paychecks rather than having their dues payments assumed unless they complain.”

Note: Manning was a member of the Trump Labor transition team.

Correction: Currently, about 27 percent of federal workers are unionized. 6.5 percent of private sector workers are unionized. About 10 percent of all workers are unionized.

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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Feb. 24, 2017, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging the Trump administration to pursue immediate civil service reform:

“By now it should be abundantly clear to the Trump administration that there are Obama administration holdovers in the 1.3 million non-defense, civilian federal workforce who have no other intention than to politically damage the White House. These rogue bureaucrats are not serving the American people, they are serving a political agenda, and frankly, they need not be tolerated. The whole reason the District of Columbia was created without voting rights or representation was so that those who work for the federal government would not wield political power. They are supposed to be neutral. Working for the government is a privilege, not a right, and it’s time that President Trump remind them by removing Obama administration hires, particularly if there is no other way to root out subversive employees.

“Part of the problem is former President Obama changed civil service rules to make it easier to hire federal employees. Trump has solved that by initiating his hiring freeze. But federal rules also make it extremely difficult to fire civil servants. It is a process that can take up to two years, even when there is cause. That said, problem employees who, say, don’t show up for work should be dealt with through this process immediately.

“But to do more requires Congress to step in, which can assist this process three-fold: 1) By incentivizing early retirement via the appropriations process with limited-time-only buy-outs; 2) cutting the personnel budgets of non-defense civilian departments and agencies, reducing the enacted full-time equivalent number for each department, agency and office by 10 to 20 percent in the workforce on a last-one-in, first-one-out basis; and 3) defunding existing preferences under federal rules being given to those laid off being later rehired on a first-in-line basis. That would eliminate politicized Obama administration holdovers, and prevent them from being rehired should it become necessary to fill in some gaps. Other ideas include eliminating automatic dues deduction for federal employees unions and getting rid of any full-time official time union personnel.

“Taken together, a comprehensive civil service reform can only possibly be accomplished in the context of the upcoming continuing resolution and budget process, by simply not appropriating monies for the same number of full-time equivalent employees as last year, and defunding preferences for rehiring previously laid off personnel. Not only can’t Trump do it alone, Congress should step up to the plate exercising their Article I powers and rein in this rogue administrative state.”

Attachments:

‘You’re fired’: How Trump can reduce the federal workforce and drain the swamp, By Robert Romano, Dec. 27, 2016 at http://netrightdaily.com/2016/12/youre-fired-trump-can-reduce-federal-workforce-drain-swamp/

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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June 11, 2014, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement blasting the House of Representatives for failing to stop taxpayer subsidies for unions in the Housing and Urban Development and Transportation appropriations bill through the defeat an amendment offered by Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) that would have defunded the practice known as “official time” where taxpayers pay federal employees to work for unions:

“By failing to adopt the Gingrey rider to the Transportation appropriations bill, the House has voted to subsidize union work. Unions could pay for these employees themselves. Why are taxpayers subsidizing organized labor? And why are members of the House blocking efforts to bring an end to this unjustifiable practice?

“We applaud Rep. Gingrey’s efforts to defund taxpayer subsidies for union officials. While the result is disappointing, there will be more opportunities in future appropriations bills to defund the hundreds of full-time union official and thousands more part-time across the federal government who are working on the taxpayer’s dime. We urge the House to reconsider this issue carefully.”

Attachments:

“Public employee union’s ‘official time’ personnel bailout,” By Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens, Washington Examiner, April 21, 2013 at http://washingtonexaminer.com/article/2527755

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (202)744-4427 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

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