Schedule G Explained: 25 Political Appointees, 22 at the VA, and No Public Record for a Year
Schedule G is a new category of political appointee that the White House created in July 2025, and for more than a year there was no public record that anyone was serving in it. That changed when OPM quietly updated its data without an announcement. Here is what federal employees need to know about Schedule G, what the data show, and how to weigh in before the comment period closes.
What Schedule G Is
In July 2025, the President signed an executive order creating Schedule G. These positions are filled without Senate confirmation and without competitive hiring, and they are meant for jobs described as “policy-making or policy-advocating.”
After the order, there was silence. The positions did not appear in OPM’s monthly workforce numbers or in the Plum Book.
What OPM’s Data Update Shows
Last week, OPM updated its data with no announcement. The update lists 25 Schedule G appointees, 22 of them at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The first started on August 25, 2025, just over a month after the order and more than a year before OPM proposed a rule for the category.
The Partnership for Public Service identified the update. As it put it, “Twenty-five is what we can see, not necessarily what exists.”
Why the Words “Policy-Making or Policy-Advocating” Matter
That phrase is not a job description. It is carve-out language in Title 5, section 7511, the law that decides who can appeal a removal to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). Positions designated this way are built to sit outside civil service protections, and they sit above career employees.
Schedule G Is Not Schedule F
The two are different tools. Schedule F would reclassify existing career jobs. Schedule G adds political positions on top of the career workforce. The tools differ, but the direction is the same: more positions without traditional civil service protections.
OPM’s position, in short, is that the executive order is the legal authority and the rulemaking is paperwork. That argument has legal footing, which is precisely why the details of the rule matter.
The Proposed Rule and the November 17 Comment Deadline
The rule is not final. OPM’s proposed rule, published in the Federal Register on September 18, 2026, is open for public comment until November 17, 2026. Anyone, including career employees, VA employees, and union representatives, can read it and file a comment.
What You Can Do Now
Read the proposed rule and the Partnership for Public Service report, then consider filing a comment by November 17. If you are a career employee at the VA or elsewhere and have questions about how a Schedule G position could affect your own role or rights, speak with a qualified attorney about your specific situation.
Questions about your rights as a federal employee? The team at Southworth PC represents federal employees nationwide and worldwide.
Legal Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Federal employment situations are fact-specific and time-sensitive. Please consult a qualified federal employment attorney about your specific situation.