No: the June 3, 2026, executive order did not reclassify government chief information officers as a group or make them political appointees. It placed a specifically identified Chief Information Officer position at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) into Schedule Policy/Career. The order describes that as a merit-based career classification, though it changes the removal procedures that apply to covered positions.
What the June 2026 order changed
President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14410, “Implementing Schedule Policy/Career in the Excepted Service,” on June 3, 2026. The order placed the positions named in its appendix into Schedule Policy/Career and directed agencies to notify affected employees and update records within seven days. The appendix identifies a CFTC Chief Information Officer position, position description 510062. The order does not establish that every federal CIO—or any broader class of CIOs—was reclassified. Executive Order 14410; order appendix.
Does Schedule Policy/Career make a job a political appointment?
No. The order says Schedule Policy/Career positions are career positions to be filled based on merit, not political affiliation. It describes them as “policy-influencing career positions.” That is different from Schedule G, which covers certain noncareer policy-making or policy-advocating positions normally subject to change during a presidential transition. Executive Order 14410; Schedule G authority.
| Classification | Career or noncareer | Transition and policy role |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule Policy/Career | Career; the order says covered jobs are filled on merit, not political affiliation. | Policy-influencing positions not normally subject to change at a presidential transition. |
| Schedule G | Noncareer. | Certain policy-making or policy-advocating positions normally subject to change at a presidential transition. |
What changes for employees in covered positions
The order exempts covered positions from adverse-action procedures that otherwise make removal for poor performance or misconduct difficult. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) says merit-based hiring and veterans’ preference remain, as do protections against whistleblower retaliation, political discrimination, and other prohibited personnel practices. OPM also says those prohibitions are enforced by employing agencies under this framework rather than by the Office of Special Counsel. These are descriptions from the order and OPM, not an independent legal assessment. Executive Order 14410; OPM final-rule summary.
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How additional positions may be included
For positions not already listed in the order, agency heads may petition OPM to recommend positions to the President. A petition must explain in writing why the role is confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating, and why it is not normally subject to change during a presidential transition. Eligibility for Schedule Policy/Career does not by itself mean a position has been moved into the schedule; the Federal Register rule distinguishes the two. Executive Order 14410; Federal Register final rule.
Limits and safeguards described by OPM
OPM’s final-rule summary says Schedule Policy/Career may not be used for workforce reshaping or mass layoffs, or to evade reduction-in-force laws and procedures. The order also states its rationale for changing removal procedures: “Therefore, ensuring that such employees can be removed for misconduct or poor performance is essential to protecting democratic self-government by an elected President.” That is the administration’s stated justification, not a neutral finding. Executive Order 14410; OPM final-rule summary.
Figures cited in the order
To support its stated rationale, Executive Order 14410 says “barely two-fifths” of federal supervisors believe they could remove subordinates engaged in serious misconduct; “only a quarter” believe they could remove serious underperformers; and “two-thirds” of senior federal executives say their agencies rarely or never reassign or dismiss underperforming managers. These are figures recited by the order on June 3, 2026; the order excerpt does not independently establish their underlying study or methodology. Executive Order 14410.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What remains unknown about CIO coverage
The appendix names one CIO position at the CFTC, but it does not provide an aggregate count of CIO positions affected. The available sources also do not establish whether additional CIO jobs were listed later or quantify how the change has been implemented. No court ruling on the specific CFTC CIO listing is established by these sources, so its legal status should not be characterized as upheld, blocked, or challenged. Executive Order 14410; order appendix; OPM final-rule summary.
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