Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why get rid of some many people? The current staff can just act on the new policies and initiative implemented by the new administration. That has always been done in the past, but it's a new era now I guess.
I’m not at NIH but this is what drives me crazy about all the anti-bureaucrat “deep state” talk. My perspective after being in govt for several decades is that the GS staff are very aware of our role to implement the policies of whatever administration is in office. If anything, I feel like people fall all over themselves trying to ingratiate themselves with the politicals of the moment. There isn’t some kind of sabotage effort occurring. I’m a lawyer in an OGC so, yes, if they want to do something and there is no legal authority for it, it’s our obligation to tell them but then it’s their call to as to whether to ignore that legal opinion. It can create tension if an administration wants us to say there’s legal authority for something when there’s not (and there are moments of such tension with politicals of both parties) but responsible people of both parties have long understood these roles and responsibilities.