Trump admin seeks to reclassify federal CIOs, opening door to political appointees
- Reference: 1738779307
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/02/05/trump_administration_reclassified_cios/
- Source link:
In a [1]memo issued yesterday, the acting director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Charles Ezell, said that these CIOs are no longer seen as purely "impartial and apolitical technocrats"; instead, their role now involves policy-making on politically charged issues.
"It is a focus of President Trump's administration to improve the government's digital policy to make government more responsive, transparent, efficient, and accessible to the public," Ezell wrote.
[2]
"The administration rightly expects that agency CIOs will be on the front lines of articulating and implementing such policies, both within government and before the general public."
[3]
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The memo echoes much of what President Trump wrote in an executive order issued on the first day of his presidency that [5]aimed to "restore accountability" to make sure the federal workforce aligns with the President's directives, making resistance a potential cause for dismissal.
"In recent years … there have been numerous and well-documented cases of career Federal employees resisting and undermining the policies and directives of their executive leadership," the executive order claimed. "Principles of good administration, therefore, necessitate action to restore accountability to the career civil service, beginning with positions of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character."
[6]
Federal agency CIOs, per Ezell's memo, are involved in "policy-making and policy-determining capabilities across a range of controversial political topics." In other words, career tech experts may find themselves sidelined if they don't align with the administration's agenda.
[7]Not even Nvidia's Jensen Huang can talk President Tariffs out of chip import taxes
[8]Trump admin's purge of US cyber advisory boards was 'foolish,' says ex-Navy admiral
[9]Trump scrubs all mention of DEI, gender, climate change from federal websites
[10]White House asks millions of govt workers if they would be so kind as to fork right off
"[A CIO] does not spend his days writing complex lines of code, setting up secure networks, or performing other 'highly technical' tasks," Ezell continued. "Instead, he crafts and effectuates policy, and sets and deploys his budget, based on his administration's priorities."
As such, Ezell is recommending that agencies with CIOs classified as senior executive service (SES) and designated as "career reserved" submit a request to OPM to have these positions redesignated as " [11]general " by February 14, opening the roles to political appointees as well as career officials.
The OPM memo argues that the pool of career SES candidates is too limited and suggests that redesignating CIO positions as "general" will expand the talent pool beyond longtime federal employees. Maybe that could explain why Trump's pick for federal CIO - Greg Barbaccia - has [12]never held a CIO role in his largely private-sector career?
The timing of the memo also neatly coincides with the chaos being caused in Washington DC by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, which has [13]taken over computer systems at various government agencies, though has been facing some level of pushback from leaders over his demands for access.
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By redesignating CIOs as general SES positions, the administration could make it [15]easier to replace those who resist policy directives, potentially reducing resistance. ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://chcoc.gov/content/guidance-regarding-redesignating-ses-cio-positions
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/cxo&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z6Pti_9jyF4FcyWCI7Xt1AAAAE4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/cxo&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z6Pti_9jyF4FcyWCI7Xt1AAAAE4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/cxo&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z6Pti_9jyF4FcyWCI7Xt1AAAAE4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/restoring-accountability-to-policy-influencing-positions-within-the-federal-workforce/
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/cxo&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z6Pti_9jyF4FcyWCI7Xt1AAAAE4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/04/nvidia_trump_tariffs/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/30/gutting_us_cyber_advisory_boards/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/03/trump_admin_scrubs_dei_websites/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/29/us_government_workers_resign_deal/
[11] https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/overview-history/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/28/the_us_governments_new_cio/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/03/musk_doge_treasury_usaid/
[14] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/cxo&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z6Pti_9jyF4FcyWCI7Xt1AAAAE4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[15] https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/ses-desk-guide/ch-2-general-staffing-and-career-appointments/#:~:text=Noncareer%20appointments%20are%20made%20without,appointments%20discussed%20in%20Chapter%203.
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
A killfile, a killfile, my kingdom for a killfile!
It wasn't until I read who posted it that I realised it wasn't somebody taking the piss...
It's like the antithesis of Poe's Law.
Very well calculated to make Trump look like a loonie.
Congratulations on the improved vocab, tovarich, those English lessons in St. Petersburg paid off well, I was wondering if "winning" was the extent you could manage ;-)
ah, yes the weirdo that gives mars man a run for their money. They do seem very excitable.
What, no love for the bearded little guy that keeps running around Trump's heels?
Chief Information Commissar
The idea is old. To quote Wikipedia: "In the Red Army, a political commissar was a high-ranking functionary at a military headquarters who held coequal rank and authority with the military commander of the unit. The Bolshevik Party established political commissars in 1918 to control and improve morale in the military forces."
Re: Chief Information Commissar
> control and improve morale in the military forces
And it worked.
Nobody reported any issues with low morale.
At least, never twice.
Re: Chief Information Commissar
The Bolshevik Party established political commissars
Take that everyone saying that Trump &c are being fascist! This just proves that they are willing to take good ideas from BOTH sides!
It's week two.
You guys might want to start a political sub forum. There is no way to separate the modern world from the circus. It's going to be a very long number of years of felonies and corruption.
I see we are quoting the 14th amendment now. If the 14th amendment meant anything, king frumpy would be in The Hague literally right now. There are no more laws.
It's the purge. Anarchy.
Re: It's week two.
Nah, the action ain't at the 14th, invading Canada or Greenland or annexing Gaza. Not at this time and possibly not ever.
It's here, in the trenches. Fire any one in the government that disagrees with him and cow the rest into submission. Defund any departments that stand in his way - wait till next budget. Tariffs to bully nations into not opposing him. "Reform" the electoral system so the next election will have the "correct" results. Make sure SCOTUS is staffed with younger conservatives so that Trumpism endures.
Maybe, later, we'll see Hague-relevant stuff. But American democracy would be lost long before it gets that far.
Keep the Dems too busy chasing their tails decrying things that he'll never do at this time. Keep them from pushing back on the actual levers of power. So far, working rather well.
Re: It's week two.
The guy was near bankruptcy and WEEKS from being sentenced in a number of cases. He was going to be put away for a long time, and people were like... Mrs. Kamala is too quiet and private. We need HEADLINES people... push the fat orange guy!
Political appointees as CIOs - what could possibly go wrong?
But in the context of the last few days, this CIO BS directive is just a little detail.
Wonder what film is playing in Trump's head right now ...
He seems to intentionally weaken the US internally as well as ruining its international standing as fast as he possibly can...
Either he never intended to work for the American People or he simply went insane.
(OK, Hanlon's Razor and all that, but nobody can be _that_ dumb and still find a way into their trousers in the morning ...)
In either case, still sane people around him should finally start to act ...
Re: Political appointees as CIOs - what could possibly go wrong?
Very Stable Genius 2.0 is playing. He's incredibly thin skinned, drunk on power and adulation and thinks he is right in everything and can do no wrong.
And, for all that the Dems should have been stopped Biden from running due to his age, Trump is really, really, old. He was never that great a person to start with, but now you can probably add serious cognitive decline to the mix. Since he's a naturally gifted genius at campaigning and manipulation that decline didn't matter that much on the campaign trail. Governing is another thing entirely.
Keep in mind too that the Reps used the 4 years in the wilderness to gather all sorts of fellow travelers. He may senilitize himself into oblivion but there will be the angry Bannons of the world to pick up the banner.
Re: Political appointees as CIOs - what could possibly go wrong?
" and thinks he is right in everything and can do no wrong. "
I don't think it's so much what he thinks, it's more down to the Supremes gifting him with legal immortality...and he's really running with it.
Re: Political appointees as CIOs - what could possibly go wrong?
The odd think is we, on the other side of the pond, had enough of this sort of stuff in 1215 and put limits on the crown but the USA seems to have missed that memo.
Re: Political appointees as CIOs - what could possibly go wrong?
> Keep in mind too that the Reps used the 4 years in the wilderness to gather all sorts of fellow travelers. He may senilitize himself into oblivion but there will be the angry Bannons of the world to pick up the banner.
I don't think this will play out, as this is not how a personality cult works.
The cult leader has to do everything to convince his followers that only he is worthy - everyone else is just there, because he himself allows it.
There's no #2 or #3 in the Trump cult. Just a #1.
Underlings are endorsed while they are useful, or letting be fallen into the dust when they are not.
Therefore, as a cult member, you follow the leader, not an ideal or an idea that can be taken up by someone else.
To stay in your picture: I think there _is_ no banner to be taken up.
As soon as Trump is gone, the Trump movement will be dead, too.
Until the next good mass manipulator shows up.
The word you are looking for USA is...
..coup
Congratulations on voting for a dictatorship.
Re: The word you are looking for USA is...
Is it really a coup d'état when the person elected to be in charge is the one causing the trouble? The checks and balances work on the supposition that the guy in charge is (mostly) honourable and generally acting in the best interest of the country (insofar as the two sides view "best interests"). But when the person in charge is a felon who's a moral vacuum that doesn't give a shit, has been granted legal untouchability, and doesn't understand anything other than currency symbols (certainly not compassion, comradeship, and "soft influence"), things are quite different.
I fear were into uncharted territory here, and there may well be important lessons for democracy regarding how much power is actually given to very few people - or in the case of the US, effectively one person - and how easily they can cause unmitigated chaos.
Re: The word you are looking for USA is...
Its a self-coup
Re: The word you are looking for USA is...
Herr Drumpf would not be the first despot who attained power via the ballot box, and he won't be the last. Fortunately, Orange Julius Caesar is getting on in years, has a terrible diet, and is visibly unhealthy, so even if there's not a Night of the Long Knives, the Hamburglar in Chief will hopefully not survive to "reelection."
If I wanted to dismantle a democracy and set up a dictatorship, this is exactly how I’d start too. It’s terrifying to think that this is being done in the most powerful nation on earth.
Oh Heavenly Father, bless and protect Emperor Trump and Professor Musk as they diligently do thine work.
Amen.