WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., alongside Senators David Perdue, R-Ga., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, today introduced the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement and Transformation (MERIT) Act. The legislation would modernize the civil service system by expediting the dismissal of underperforming employees in the federal workforce.

“Citizens should be able to trust that their government is staffed by qualified individuals who maintain a high level of professionalism and respect for their duties to the American people,” said Wicker. “The MERIT Act would build on reforms Congress passed last session for the Department of Veterans Affairs and enable agencies across the entire civil service system to work more efficiently.”

The MERIT Act would:

• Streamline the process and shorten the amount of time required to remove underperforming employees;
• Permit agencies to remove a senior executive for performance reasons, rather than merely demote them;
• Limit retirement benefits of employees who are removed from their position due to a felony conviction related to their official duties;
• Authorize agencies to recoup bonuses and awards when performance or conduct issues are discovered;
• Extend the probationary period for competitive appointments and promotions from one year to two years so that there is adequate time to evaluate a new employee;
• Curb the ability to use intermediaries to overrule or undermine Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) precedent; and
• Uphold critical whistleblower protections.

Click here for full text of the MERIT Act.