'we Are Patriots': South Florida Nonpartisan Federal Workers Push Back On Mass Firings

Nonpartisan federal workers in South Florida are speaking out against potential mass layoffs, warning that deep cuts to government jobs would disrupt essential services and hurt local communities.

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America is known globally for its nonpartisan civil service federal workforce, strengthened in 1883 with the passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Act.

According to the National Archives, " The Pendleton Act provided that federal government jobs be awarded on the basis of merit and that government employees be selected through competitive exams. The act also made it unlawful to fire or demote employees for political reasons and forbade requiring employees to give political service or contributions. The law established the Civil Service Commission to enforce these provisions."

"Civil servants are nonpartisan experts who pledge an oath to defend the Constitution, not a political party," explains Civil Service Strong , a nonpartisan organization advocating for the federal workforce.