Washington D.C. (January 23, 2025) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) issued the following statement after he reintroduced the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement, and Transformation (MERIT) Act to hold inefficient, corrupt government bureaucrats accountable in the 119^th Congress.

“Over the past four years most Americans feared the federal government and its ability to unjustly wield power, and have become tired of funding the fraud, waste, and abuse within our bloated federal bureaucracy. With President Trump back in office, and the passage of my MERIT Act, Americans will have a government they can be proud of again, not one they fear and distrust. We will return our government to one that works for the people, not one that works for self-interests or political agendas. The reforming of the federal government must begin with a dedicated, efficient, and committed workforce, which is why the MERIT Act is an essential step in fixing our broken system.

“Our federal employment system should reward hard work and dedication; however, the current federal employment code protects poor performers and corruption. I have been diligently working on this bill for several years, and now is the time to reform our outdated system. MERIT would create a more efficient and effective government that works for the benefit of the American people. It would restructure the federal employment code by modeling employee dismissal with that of the private sector, and lessen the time it takes to root out misconduct and poor performers.

“I am encouraged that the mission of President Trump, Elon Musk, and the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will complement MERIT, and I look forward to working with them and my colleagues to get it passed in the U.S. House.”

Rep. Buddy Carter (GA-1) stated, “President Trump has been sent to Washington with a mandate from the American people to shake up Washington, and this bill makes good on that promise. I am proud to be joining my colleague, Rep. Loudermilk, in advancing the MERIT Act, which will ensure that inefficient, corrupt government bureaucrats are held accountable.”

“Our federal workforce has been slow and bloated for far too long,” said Rep. Mike Collins (GA-10). “The MERIT Act is a step in the right direction to give the American taxpayers the effective and efficient government workforce that they deserve.”

“Hardworking Americans deserve a government that puts service and results first, not one that protects inefficiency and misconduct. The MERIT Act ensures that federal employees are held to the same high standards as those in the private sector. I’m proud to support this commonsense legislation that prioritizes taxpayers, promotes excellence, and strengthens trust in our institutions,” said Rep. Erin Houchin (IN-9).

“America’s federal workforce must serve the people—not the bureaucracy. The MERIT Act builds on President Trump’s America First agenda by cutting government waste, fraud, and abuse, rooting out misconduct, and holding federal workers to the highest standards. House Republicans will continue to deliver a government that works as hard as the American people—one they can trust to fight for them every single day,” said Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-4).

“Far too many corrupt bureaucrats remain unaccountable,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13). “This inefficiency in government career positions cannot be tolerated. Federal employees must uphold the highest standards of integrity to ensure accountability to the American people. Americans deserve a government that works for them, not against them. Rep. Loudermilk’s MERIT Act is the solution to overhaul the system and end the unchecked misconduct that has undermined the public’s trust.”

“As we work with President Trump to usher in a new Golden Age in America, we must ensure our federal workforce serves with integrity and reflects the highest values of public service. I’m happy to cosponsor the MERIT Act to hold federal employees to a higher standard and make it easier for agency managers to hold workers accountable,” said Rep. Scott Franklin (FL-18).

“Negligent federal employees who push a political agenda and disregard the will of the American people have been given power for too long. Hardworking Americans’ tax dollars should not be spent on poor-performing federal employees who lack accountability. The MERIT Act is a necessary bill that begins to correct a deeply rooted problem in the federal government and returns to agencies the efficiency and integrity they have been missing,” said Heritage Action Executive Vice President Ryan Walker.

“Taxpayers deserve to have outstanding public servants staffing all levels of government. Representative Loudermilk’s MERIT Act is not only prescient but necessary to ensure that the federal government has the flexibility it needs to most effectively staff its workforce and give hard-working Americans confidence that their tax dollars are being properly stewarded and deployed. We applaud Rep. Loudermilk for his effort to restore accountability and transparency to our government,” said Austen Bannan, Employment Policy Fellow, Americans for Prosperity.

“AMAC Action is proud to support the MERIT Act which represents a crucial step towards creating a more efficient and accountable federal workforce. By streamlining the process for addressing poor performance and misconduct, this legislation holds federal bureaucrats accountable. These improvements will ensure that government services are delivered with integrity to America’s seniors who have worked hard and paid taxes their entire lives,” said Rebecca Weber, Chairwoman, AMAC Action.

 MERIT ACT Summary:

• Addressing misconduct and poor performance: The MERIT Act repeals the Chapter 43 special process for action against poor performers and bad actors, which is unnecessarily time-consuming, and streamlines the Chapter 75 process for removal or suspension of employees and supervisors.
• Poor Performing Senior Executives: The MERIT Act permits agencies to remove a senior executive from the civil service for performance reasons, rather than merely demoting the individual to a non-Senior Executive Service (SES) position.
• Recoupment of bonuses and awards: The MERIT Act authorizes agencies to order recoupment of bonuses and awards when performance or conduct issues are discovered and it is determined the bonus or award would not have been paid had these issues been known at the time.
• Felonious service: The MERIT Act affects the retirement benefits of employees who are removed based on a felony conviction for actions taken in furtherance of official duties. The period of service during which the felonious activities occurred will be eliminated for purposes of any annuity computation.

Original co-sponsors include: Reps. Buddy Carter (GA-1), Erin Houchin (IN-9), Rick Crawford (AR-1), Burgess Owens (UT-4), Mike Collins (GA-10), Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), Dan Webster (FL-11), Tracy Mann (KS-1), Scott Franklin (FL-18), Dan Meuser (PA-9), Brian Babin (TX-36), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Jim Baird (IN-4), Greg Steube (FL-17), and Tim Burchett (TN-2). 

Click here for a one-page summary and here for the full bill text of the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement, and Transformation (MERIT) Act.

Reprinted with permission from Barry Loudermilk.

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.