Trump Extends Federal Hiring Freeze for 90 Days

The exemptions include those who impact the deployment of Social Security, Medicare and veteran benefits.

President Donald Trump signed a memorandum of understanding on April 17, extending the hiring freeze for federal private employees until July 15.

“The currently open federal civilian positions cannot be created a new position unless otherwise provided in this memorandum or as required by applicable law,” the memorandum states.

As soon as he reentered his office on January 20th, Trump signed an order directing the directional body across the administrative department to avoid filling the federal civilian positions that were vacant on the inauguration day at noon on January 20th.

The order exempts Department of Defense military personnel or “positions relating to immigration enforcement, national security or public safety.” He also exempted from positions “Influence Social Security, Medicare, or Veterans’ Benefits (Ink)”.

With Trump’s January order, the HR director granted exemptions when necessary, instructed the director to consult with managers of US Doge services, and submitted plans within 90 days to reduce the size of the federal workforce “through improvements and attrition.”

After issuing that plan, an order was established to expire for all enforcement departments and agencies, except for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Once the administration adopts the “Merit Employment Plan” in accordance with Executive Order 14170 and restores reforms to the federal employment process and restoration of government services, future employment across the administrative sector will “conform to that plan.”

Thursday’s memorandum continues exemptions from certain federal positions found in the January order, including military and social qualification programs.

“It is prohibited to make contracts outside the federal government to avoid the intent of this memorandum,” it states.

Trump’s memorandum directs agency managers to use existing personnel and funds to improve public services and their delivery. It also does not hinder “reallocation and reallocation to meet the needs of top priorities,” maintaining critical services, or protecting national and homeland security and public safety.

The memorandum will remain in place for the IRS until the Secretary of Treasury has decided whether the freeze will end and whether a notice of the discovery will be made public on the federal register in consultation with the Director of Personnel and Administration and the Doge Service Administrator in the US.

However, the memorandum does not restrict the nomination or appointment of staff to a position that requires the appointment of a president or confirmation of the Senate, the appointment of officials to non-civil servants in senior executive services, or other similar reallocation.

The lawsuit continues Trump’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal government, spend through massive layoffs and adopt a federal agency-wide freeze. Some of these efforts have been met with lawsuits from organizations that include workers groups, unions, and more than a dozen states.