EQUALS Act Passes Oversight: Federal Tenure on the Chopping Block

A major reform effort targeting the federal bureaucracy cleared its first hurdle this afternoon. Representative Brandon Gill announced that his EQUALS Act has passed the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, marking a significant step toward reshaping how federal employees are evaluated and retained.

Gill celebrated the vote on social media, writing: “My EQUALS Act just PASSED @GOPoversight. It ends the absurd ‘lifetime tenure’ federal bureaucrats get after one year and forces real performance reviews. If you can’t do the job, taxpayers shouldn’t be stuck paying you forever.”

What the EQUALS Act Would Do

The EQUALS Act—short for Employee Quality Assurance and Leadership Standards Act—targets one of the most entrenched features of federal employment: the near-automatic job protections granted to civil servants after a single year on the job.

Key provisions include:

• Eliminating automatic tenure for federal employees after their first year

• Implementing mandatory performance reviews tied to job retention

• Streamlining dismissal procedures for employees who consistently underperform

• Requiring agencies to document and report performance metrics to Congress

Supporters argue the bill would modernize an outdated system that shields poor performance, creates inefficiencies, and costs taxpayers millions annually in prolonged procedures that often prevent agencies from removing ineffective workers.

Why Gill Says Reform Is Needed

Republicans on the Oversight Committee praised the bill as a long-overdue correction to federal personnel policies shaped during the mid-20th century. Gill has framed the bill as a direct response to what he and other conservatives describe as an unaccountable federal bureaucracy insulated from consequences and resistant to change.

Gill argues that the current system gives federal employees “lifetime tenure by default,” preventing agencies from responding to chronic underperformance. “Taxpayers shouldn’t be locked into a permanent bill for employees who refuse to do their jobs,” he said in recent remarks.

Supporters also note that fewer than 1% of federal employees are fired each year, even in agencies that repeatedly miss performance targets.

Critics Warn of Politicization and Instability

Democrats and public-sector unions strongly oppose the bill, arguing that weakening job protections could open the door to political retaliation, discrimination, and mass turnover. They warn that stripping back civil service protections risks creating a workforce that feels pressured to align politically with whichever party holds power.

Opponents say the current system protects employees from arbitrary firings and maintains non-partisan expertise within the federal workforce. They argue that performance issues can be addressed under existing rules if agencies follow established procedures.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has already described the EQUALS Act as “a backdoor attempt to reintroduce the Schedule F purge,” referencing an effort in the prior administration to reclassify and remove thousands of federal workers.

What Happens Next

With its passage through the Oversight Committee, the EQUALS Act now heads to the full House for consideration. If approved, it would still face a difficult road in the Senate, where Democrats hold a narrow majority and where federal labor protections have historically been strongly defended.

Still, the bill’s advancement highlights a growing Republican focus on reshaping the federal workforce, limiting bureaucratic autonomy, and expanding accountability mechanisms. Gill and other proponents view the measure as essential to restoring efficiency and trust in government operations.

Whether the EQUALS Act becomes law or simply shapes future debates, it represents one of the most significant federal workforce reform proposals in over a decade.