Bureaucratic Burrowers Earn Senator's Squeal Award

“Burrowing” in Washington refers to political appointees who find a way to stay in Washington with permanent government jobs. Joni Ernst (R-IA) says it needs to stop.

Joni Ernst, Republican Senator from Iowa, gives a monthly “Squeal Award” as a way of spotlighting misuse of funds, unfair policies or lucrative loopholes in government. She often introduces bills to eliminate the discrepancies, as she did this month.

“A political appointee is assigned to a federal agency by the sitting administration to help achieve the administration’s established policy goals,” Ernst explained. “While most political employees leave federal service at the end of the administration, some try to convert their temporary positions into career positions, typically targeting high-paying, senior level jobs.

“According to a 2017 study by the Government Accountability Office, 467 political appointees became career employees between 1998 and 2016!” she adds.

Ernst recently introduced the Political Appointee Burrowing Prevention Act “to place commonsense restrictions on this beltway-bubble practice,” she said in an announcement.

She was interviewed by Fox Business recently to discuss the legislation, which you can watch by clicking here.

“While political appointees do play a vital role in achieving the policy goals of an administration, they should not be allowed to immediately become career employees when their administration leaves town,” Ernst said in the release. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the Political Appointee Burrowing Prevention Act to make sure the only burrowers you have to worry about are the ones in your lawn.”