Senate Committee Hosts Hearing on National Commission Civil Service Reform Recommendations

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management held a hearing today on the recommendations for reforming the civil service put forth by the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service. The hearing, led by Senators Lankford and Sinema, focused on reforms to federal hiring and workforce management that would improve the delivery of services to the American people.

During the hearing, Commission Chairman Joseph Heck and Commissioner Shawn Skelly spoke with lawmakers about recommendations made within the report relating to federal agency hiring processes, attracting new generations of Americans to public service, the personnel culture within agencies, critical-skill challenges, the competitiveness of federal employee benefits, and a long-term approach to realizing a modern talent-management system.

Lawmakers primarily focused their questions on ways to improve cyber recruitment to federal agencies and to recruit younger generations to public service.

As the commissioners noted, the current wait time to hear back regarding a government job is 98 days, leaving the government far behind the standard hiring timeframe of the private sector. The commissioners also noted that outdated assessment techniques, resumé requirements, and a lack of subject matter expert involvement in hiring results in a federal hiring system which does not attract the talent of young Americans.

Senator Lankford highlighted the commission’s recommendations on reforming veterans’ preference as one of the most potentially controversial proposals within the final report.

The commissioners, who have both served in the military, noted how the current system negatively impacts both the veterans themselves and the federal workforce. The commissioners defended that comprehensive reforms to the current system should not be controversial as long as they are comprehensive enough to better serve both veterans and federal employers.

While some elements of the commission’s recommendations, such as veteran’s preference reform, may be politically challenging, the Senior Executives Association wrote a letter for the hearing record outlining proposals which “can have an immediate impact and represent basic best practices which stakeholders have spent years pressuring Congress to consider.” These provisions include:

• Expand national service programs targeting diverse populations –Recommendation 17A

• Reduce hardship in provision of wraparound services –Recommendation 17B

• Remote participation in Peace Corps volunteer programs –Recommendation 20A

• Increase the use of term and temporary appointments –Recommendation 21F

• Expand use of direct-hire authority –Recommendation 22C

• Standardize and extend noncompetitive eligibility –Recommendation 23B

• Improve the Pathways Internship and Recent Graduate hiring programs –Recommendation 24A

• Pilot new hiring programs for critical skills –Recommendation 24B

• Implement technical correction for direct-hire authority for students and recent graduates –Recommendation 24D

• Streamline and expand fellowship and scholarship programs –Recommendation 24E

• Streamline federal healthcare professional hiring; credential portability –Recommendation 26

Access the commission’s final report: Inspire to Serve.