President Threatens to Fire the Fed Chair
agency independence fed chair federal employment mindfulness tsp Apr 18, 2025When headlines scream about firing the Federal Reserve Chair, it may seem like just another political squabble in D.C. But for federal employees—especially those navigating TSP balances, agency shifts, or discipline threats—these power plays have deep personal consequences.
This week, former President Trump made waves by declaring that Fed Chair Jerome Powell “cannot be removed fast enough.” His frustration? The Fed’s resistance to cutting interest rates. But here's the constitutional and career-critical catch: under the Federal Reserve Act—and reaffirmed by the landmark Humphrey’s Executor decision of 1935—the President can’t remove independent agency heads without cause. That means misconduct or incapacity, not simply disagreeing over policy.
Why This Matters to You
The ability to insulate leaders of independent agencies like the Fed, EEOC, and MSPB is not academic—it’s a protective shield for your rights and livelihood. If a president could fire agency heads at will, your federal job protections, EEO complaint processes, and even the neutral handling of appeals would be at risk. Imagine losing due process just because leadership changed.
Even now, the current Supreme Court is weighing whether to undo those historical protections. A ruling that overturns Humphrey’s Executor could give any future president sweeping powers to fire watchdogs—including those who safeguard your retirement, housing rights, and career stability.
Meanwhile, interest rate decisions affect your daily life. Rising rates can shake your TSP, but politically motivated cuts can damage long-term economic credibility, driving up inflation and hitting your grocery bill hard.
Protect Yourself Proactively
In uncertain legal and political climates, it’s essential to stay informed and grounded. That’s where The Mindful Federal Employee Power Hub Membership comes in. Inside the Power Hub, you'll find legal insights, mindfulness strategies, and tools to help you protect your rights and stay calm—no matter what chaos swirls outside your cubicle.
Stay Ready. Stay Mindful.
We can’t control the courts or the economy, but we can prepare ourselves. Join a community of mindful federal employees who are staying calm, legally protected, and connected: Join the Power Hub Membership here.
Legal Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. While I am a federal employment attorney, this post does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every situation is unique, and legal outcomes depend on specific facts and circumstances.
Categories
All Categories #careerprotection #doge #federalemployment #mindfulness #stressmanagement administrative cuts administrative law afge lawsuit afge v. trump agency closures agency cuts agency independence agency reorganization agency shutdown agency shutdowns ai and privacy ai in government ai surveillance alien enemies act americorps cuts appeals court trends appointments clause at-will status awol defense black federal employees black federal workers budget cuts budget transparency burnout prevention career protection career stability careerprotection cdc advisory committee cdc recall cfpb layoffs checks and balances civil rights civil rights enforcement civil rights protection civil service protection civil service protections civil service reform civil service rights class action lawsuits class actions classified information collective bargaining congressional budget bill congressional budget cuts constitutional law constitutional rights court orders ctap cybersecurity threats deferred resignation program deferred resignation programs dei dei ban dei cuts dei executive order dei in government dei in stem dei policies dei retaliation deia democracy protection department of state dhs disability rights disaster readiness disciplinary defense discrimination district court injunctions dod reorganization doe injunction doge doge reform drp buyouts due process due process rights dueprocess eeo complaints eeo guidance eeo laws eeo process eeo protections eeo rights eeoc eeoc guidance elon musk emergency response policy emergencymanagement employee protections employee rights employee stress management employeeprotections employment law epa layoffs equal protection executive order executive order challenge executive orders executive overreach executive power faca fda oversight fed chair fed legal help fed strong community federal benefits federal career defense federal career protection federal court updates federal discipline federal employee advocacy federal employee discipline federal employee ethics federal employee protection federal employee protections federal employee rights federal employee rights, federal employee support federal employees federal employment federal employment law federal employment rights federal employment stability federal employment, federal funding federal job cuts federal job protection federal job rights federal job security federal job termination federal jobs federal law federal layoffs federal pay federal probation federal records compliance federal retirement federal workforce federal workforce laws federal workforce protection federal workforce protections federal workforce rights federal workforce stability federal workplace federal workplace protections federalemployeeresources federalemployment fehb fehb audit fehb termination fema fema cuts fers fers annuity supplement fers retirement fers supplement first amendment rights flra fmcs cuts food safety foreign emoluments clause fork in the road free speech furlough rights gao report government accountability government agencies government budget cuts government careers government downsizing government ethics. government funding, government integrity government job security government jobs government layoffs government oversight government policy changes government regulations government shutdown government transparency government waste government workforce governmentjobs governmentreform gsa workforce hatch act health benefits hhs employees hhs lawsuit hhs layoffs hhs reduction in force hhs reorg hhs rif hr letters hr modernization hr policy hr system failures hud layoffs ig firings impoundment control act institutional knowledge interior department irs delays irs layoffs irs reduction in force irs workplace issues job loss recovery job protection job protections job reclassification job search job security job security strategies job termination judicial independence know your rights labor relations law day 2025 layoffs legal advice legal advocacy legal challenges legal compliance legal defense legal protection legal representation legal rights legal update legal updates for federal employees legalsupport lgbtq rights mass layoffs medical privacy merit system merit systems merit systems protection merit systems protection board merit-based hiring military spouses mindful federal employee mindful federal employment mindful leadership mindful workplace mindfulness mindfulness at work mindfulness at work, mindfulness for employees mindfulness in government mindfulness in the workplace mspb mspb appeal mspb appeals mspb rights mspb ruling national security national security law nationwide injunctions ndas in government nih rif ninth circuit nlrb opm contracts opm firings opm guidance opm hiring memo opm lawsuit opm policy opm reform opm regulations opm rule opm rulemaking opm ruling opm suitability rule opm termination osc case osc closure osc complaints osc investigation osc reversal osha investigations pension reform pentagon job cuts performance improvement plan performance improvement plans political appointees presidential ethics privacy act privacy rights probationary employee rights probationary employees probationary federal employees probationary federal employment probationary period probationary status probationary termination probationaryemployees project 2025 protect federal career protecting federal career protecting federal careers public comment violations public health public service public service stress management publicservice reasonable accommodation reasonable accommodations reduction in force rehabilitation act religious freedom relocation rights remote work reporter shield rollback retaliation retaliation protection retention register retirement planning retirement processing return to office rfk jr. rif rif appeals rif injunction rif law rif lawsuit rif layoffs rif litigation rif notices rif preparation rif procedures rif resources rif rights rif strategy rif supreme court case rif suspension rifs rule of law schedule f scientific innovation scientificworkforce scotus layoffs security clearance separation of powers sf 50 guide sf-50 guide shadow docket social security social security data socialsecurity ssa ssa data breach ssa layoffs state department state secrets doctrine stress management student loans suitability review suitability standards supreme court supreme court rulings supreme court rulings, supreme court stay taxpayer privacy telework telework policies telework policy telework protections telework rights telework rules termination title vii trump legal issues tsa tsa workers tsp union protections union rights unionrights unlawful terminations usps independence va job cuts va layoffs va union rights veterans preference veteransaffairs watchdog oversight whistleblower protection whistleblower protections whistleblower rights work-life balance worker safety workforce downsizing workforce reduction workforce restructuring workforce rights workplace accessibility workplace accommodations workplace dei workplace disability rights workplace discipline workplace discrimination workplace fairness workplace justice workplace mindfulness workplace protections workplace resilience workplace retaliation workplace rights workplace stability workplace stress workplace stress management workplace surveillance workplace wellness workplaceprivacy workplacerights workplacewellness wrongful termination