Trump extends federal hiring freeze with some exceptions
Congress designates some agency functions in statute, which require a change in law to abolish, while others are created by agency chiefs and can be eliminated. Lawmakers are debating whether to agree with some of the administration's decisions to dismantle agencies and reduce the workforce.
"Contracting outside the Federal Government to circumvent the intent of this memorandum is prohibited," the order says. The heads of agencies "shall seek efficient use of existing personnel and funds to improve public services and the delivery of those services," the order says.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins said a department-wide reduction in workforce was "off the table," but officials would continue to look for ways to make the agency more efficient.
"Our review has resulted in a host of new ideas for better serving Veterans that we will continue to pursue," Collins said.
The hiring freeze exempts the executive office of the president, officials he appoints directly, the military, immigration enforcement, national security or public safety.
Trump said the director of the Office of Personnel Management could grant exceptions to the policy as "otherwise necessary."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Financial redress for LGBT veterans must be sped up, MPs to urge ministers
Ministers must ensure all LGBT veterans who suffered historical mistreatment in the armed forces get compensation swiftly, MPs are to warn in a parliamentary debate. A group of MPs will push for the redress scheme for veterans who suffered under the so-called 'gay ban' to be rolled out as quickly as possible. LGBT people in the military were abused, assaulted, and dishonourably discharged without pay, and went on to suffer lifelong consequences when their sexuality was discovered in the pre-2000 era. The £75 million redress scheme set up in December offers payments of up to £70,000 to each veteran to 'acknowledge the historic wrongs they experienced in the armed forces'. Some 84 veterans out of the 1,300 who have applied for the financial payment have been paid so far, according to Fighting with Pride, a charity advocating for the veterans. While the charity has welcomed efforts by the Government to roll out the scheme, it is warning many veterans are now ageing and in poor health and are in need of financial help in their later years. Liberal Democrat MP Jess Brown-Fuller will lead the Wednesday afternoon Westminster Hall debate on the financial redress scheme for the veterans. Ahead of the debate the Chichester MP described the matter as a 'crucial issue'. She added: 'Members of the armed forces who put their life on the line for our country were dismissed in huge numbers for simply daring to be who they are. 'Many faced verbal and physical abuse that stripped veterans not only of their career but of their dignity. 'It's a scandal that the compensation they are rightly owed has been so delayed.' Peter Gibson, chief executive of Fighting With Pride, said: 'It's vital affected veterans get swift justice. 'Many are in their 60s, 70s and 80s – many with poor mental and physical health. Put simply, they don't have time to wait. 'The debate in Westminster serves as an important reminder to Government to speed up consideration of the applications for financial reparations and improve communications. 'Every submission details someone's painful memories of being shunned by the military family; of bullying, intimidation and in some cases criminal convictions and prison.' Mr Gibson met this week with veterans minister Al Carns, where he said the charity 'passed on the real experiences and frustrations of veterans'. A series of recommendations to improve the redress scheme were 'received warmly', he added. 'We're confident – and determined – we'll see improvements which finally deliver the justice impacted veterans deserve,' Mr Gibson said.
NBC News
30 minutes ago
- NBC News
Trump's tariff deadline delay brings hope, confusion to trade partners, businesses
WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff delay provided some hope to major trade partners Japan, South Korea and the European Union that deals to ease duties could still be reached, while bewildering some smaller exporters such as South Africa and leaving companies with no clarity on the path forward. Trump's form letters to 14 countries informing them of planned tariff rates of 25% to 40% provided what he called a final warning on his 'reciprocal' tariffs, while pushing back Wednesday's previous deadline to August 1, a date he said on Tuesday was final, declaring: 'No extensions will be granted.' The move reflects Trump's frustration with trade negotiations that are proving lengthier and more complicated than the '90 deals in 90 days' that he expected, trade experts and administration officials say. The president, who announced on Tuesday a 50% tariff on imported copper and said long-threatened levies on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals were coming soon, said he has long favored simple tariffs over tedious trade talks that often involve red lines for some countries and their own requests for U.S. concessions. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba focused on the positive, saying his government would press ahead with negotiations toward a deal that 'benefits both countries, while protecting Japan's national interest.' Facing a 25% general U.S. tariff, Japan wants relief for its export-dependent auto industry from Trump's separate 25% automotive tariffs. It also has resisted demands for increased purchases of American rice. Japan, once viewed as an early favorite for a deal, faces an upper house election on July 20 and too many concessions could put Ishiba's ruling Liberal Democratic Party at risk. 'These countries are not folding. They're not giving him what he wants, so he's added another threat,' said William Reinsch, a former U.S. Commerce Department official who is a senior trade adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'He's put a new number to it and extended the deadline.' South Korea, where President Lee Jae Myung has been in office less than a month, also pledged to intensify talks for 'a mutually beneficial result' while analysts warned he would not be 'a pushover' for Trump or put South Korea at a disadvantage to Japan. Stephen Miran, chairman of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, told Fox News on Tuesday more deals were possible even before the end of this week, as long as countries made concessions deemed worthy by Trump. India, in particular, looked close to a deal, but prospects were less clear for smaller countries such as South Africa, Thailand and Malaysia, which face tariffs of 30%, 36% and 25%, respectively. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pushed back on Trump's 30% tariff rate, calling it out of sync with an average 7.6% South African tariff rate. But he instructed his negotiators to 'urgently engage' with Trump's team on a framework first submitted by the South African side on May 20. The Trump administration's negotiating time may be eaten up with larger partners, such as the EU, which did not get a warning letter or a change to its prescribed 20% tariff rate, double the 10% baseline. Sources familiar with the EU talks have told Reuters a deal could involve carve-outs for aircraft and parts, medical equipment and alcoholic spirits. They say the EU also wants certain automakers to export to the U.S. at rates below the 25% auto tariff. Such a deal would be similar to a framework agreement with the United Kingdom that had carve-outs for autos, steel and aircraft engines. Final squeeze After announcing his global 'Liberation Day' tariffs of 11%-50% in early April, Trump quickly dialed them back to 10% for most countries amid bond market turmoil to buy time for negotiations to lower foreign tariffs and trade barriers. Ryan Majerus, another former U.S. Commerce official, said Trump's three-month pause had not produced the desired results, and now the president was seeking to maximize his negotiating leverage. 'They're going to pressure-test things and see how far they can go, particularly for countries where there hasn't been any movement in the talks,' said Majerus, who is a partner at Washington's King and Spalding law firm. Steadier markets and strong economic data give Trump some room to maneuver, but time is short and 'the more granular you get in negotiating these things, the tougher the sledding gets,' he added. The deadline extension provides no relief to companies that are trying to keep up with Trump's tariffs. Executives say the rapidly shifting tariff landscape has paralyzed decision-making as they try to adjust their supply chains and cost structures to avoid tariff-induced price hikes. 'No company can really prepare for this,' said Hubertus Breier, chief technology officer for Germany's Lapp Holdings, a family-owned maker of cables, wires and robotics for factories. 'We are already incurring losses simply because of the uncertainty of the daily changing situation.' Lapp has difficult choices — absorb additional costs or pass them on to customers. Assuming permanently higher prices and costs, however, could threaten its long-term existence, Breier added. DeMejico, a family business in Valencia, California with a plant in Mexico that builds traditional Spanish and Mexican-style furniture, is struggling to adapt to Trump's 50% tariffs on imported steel. Robert Luna, the company's president, said the firm is importing heavy steel latches, hinges and trim parts separately to simplify the tariff calculation process and installing them at its Los Angeles-area showroom. The tariffs and higher U.S. wage costs are already inflating prices, and DeMejico faces further cost increases on furniture if Trump hits Mexico with a reciprocal tariff, Luna said. 'It's hard to do anything about this as a small business owner, so I just try to be stoic and see what happens,' Luna said, adding: 'My biggest worry is just keeping the company alive.' Luna said he thought the Trump administration was 'setting up the foundation to train people to pay tariffs.'
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Netanyahu vows to combat what he calls ‘vilification against Israel' online
Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he's vowed to combat an orchestrated social media campaign of 'vilification and demonization' that he says is responsible for a drop in support for Israel among US voters, especially Democrats. 'I think there's been a concerted effort to spread vilification and demonization against Israel on social media,' the Israeli prime minister told journalists on Capitol Hill after being asked to respond to opinion polls showing a move away from the historic trend of strong backing for Israel. 'It's directed, it's funded. It is malignant. We intend to fight it, because nothing defeats lies like the truth, and we shall spread the truth for everyone to see once people are exposed to the facts, we win hands down. That's what we intend to do in the coming months and years.' Netanyahu's comments came during a visit to Congress, where he met the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson. They also followed the recent victory of Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary race for the mayor of New York, which commentators believe was partly fueled by the candidate's vocal support for Palestinian rights and criticism of Israel's military offensive in Gaza. A range of surveys have shows a marked decline in support for Israel among Democratic-leaning voters amid rising disquiet about the impact of the war in the now devastated coastal territory. The ongoing war has killed about 60,000 people – most of them Palestinians – and has seen much of the population threatened with starvation. A Gallup poll in March showed less than half of the US public sympathized with Israel's position, the lowest figure recorded since the organization started taking surveys on the issue. Among Democrat voters, 38% sympathize with the Palestinians over the Israelis, a reversal of a 2013 Gallup survey, which saw Democrats sympathizing with Israelis by a margin of 36%. Other polls have shown similar trends, raising concerns for the future of the traditional strong bipartisan US support for Israel. The Israeli leader said his government had accepted a proposal from Qatari mediators for a fresh ceasefire with Hamas, saying it matched what had been proposed by Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's Middle East envoy. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Witkoff, speaking at a cabinet meeting earlier on Tuesday, had spelled out the terms of a proposed deal to broker a 60-day ceasefire he hoped would be in place by the end of the week, saying it would involve the release of Israeli hostages. 'Ten live hostages will be released, nine deceased will be released,' Witkoff said. 'We're meeting at the president's direction with all the hostage families to let them know, and we think that this will lead to a lasting peace.' Netanyahu said: 'We accepted a proposal that came from the mediators. It's a good proposal. It matches Steve Witkoff's original idea and we think that we've gotten closer to it, and I hope we can cross the line.' He also said he expected to meet the US president again during his current visit, his third to Washington since Trump was inaugurated in January. The two met at the White House on Monday evening, when Netanyahu presented Trump with a letter nominating him for a Nobel peace prize. Netanyahu said the the military coordination with Washington during Israel's recent 12-day war with Iran, which resulted in repeated strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities, was unprecedented. 'In the entire 77 years of Israeli history, there has never been the degree of coordination of cooperation and trust between America and Israel as we have today,' he said. 'And I credit President Trump with this extraordinary achievement.'
