GEL Partner Kevin L. Owen wrote an opinion piece published by Washington, DC newspaper The Hill on April 23, 2023. The article, “House Republicans are holding the federal workforce hostage”, raised the alarm concerning the negative effects on the federal civil service if Congress were to resurrect a long-abandoned practice referred to as the “Holman Rule”. Under the Holman Rule, Congress would attach riders to other legislation reducing or eliminating the salary for specific named federal employees or offices, allowing Congress to target disfavored civil service individuals or programs for political retribution. Mr. Owen discusses the history of the Holman Rule, and how reintroduction of the Holman Rule could be damaging to the operation of the civil service.
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