Once OPM’s proposed rule change goes into effect, continuous vetting will doubtlessly play a big role in how frequently OPM takes suitability actions.
“Public service is a privilege, not a right.” —then-acting Director of OPM Chuck Ezell
On June 3, 2025, the Office of Personnel Management published a proposed rule to amend the Code of Federal Regulations provisions for vetting federal workers for employment suitability. The comment period ended on July 18, 2025. Washington — “inside the Beltway” — now awaits the final rule.
Federal jobs were once perceived as the gold standard of security and stability. Now they are anything but stable. January 2025 was a historic pivot. The second Trump administration reversed trends long established by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 with its move to empower OPM. Such a configuration of OPM has not been seen since the Eisenhower administration. OPM’s proposed suitability changes are yet another nail in the Great Society’s coffin.
The prudent federal employee will assume these changes are coming. How can those intent on remaining federal employees prepare for a return to older governing precepts? How do you plan ahead when the winds are inconsistent, and the tides unpredictable?
These particular seas are not entirely uncharted — at least, not for some. Federal employees seeking to keep their position can learn a great deal from their peers in the cleared workspace about proactive career protection in the world of Trusted Workforce...
Former Special Counsel Jack Smith delivered testimony Thursday before the House Judiciary Committee, defending his investigation into former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 el...