From the Killing Democracy Files: The Viktor Orban redux

CONTEXT

After he was elected to power in Hungary in 2010, Viktor Orban moved quickly to kill democracy and neuter political and institutional opposition and dissent. Within a couple of years, he and his party were in firm control and voters could not dislodge them. Hungary ceased to be a democracy. A key tactic that Orban used to neuter pro-democracy government institutions was to purge the central government of competent professional bureaucrats. They were replaced by thugs chosen based on their loyalty to Orban, not their experience, competence or loyalty to democracy or the rule of law. 

I have pointed out here many times now that Republican Party elites greatly admire what Orban did to democracy and the rule of law in Hungary. Their actions are clearly aimed at doing the same to democracy and the rule of law in America. 

This 5 minute interview with Orban expert Kim Scheppele explains the American radical right's love affair with Orban.

THE AMERICAN ORBAN REDUX

Government Executive writes:

Feds Could Be Fired at Any Time for Any Reason 

Under a Bill That Was Just Reintroduced

The bill also would abolish the Merit Systems Protection Board and threatens to reduce former federal employees’ retirement benefits if they file “frivolous” appeals of adverse personnel actions

A group of 14 conservative lawmakers in both chambers of Congress last week reintroduced legislation that would make the federal government an at-will employer and abolish the Merit Systems Protection Board, effectively eviscerating federal workers’ civil service protections and chilling whistleblowing.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., are the lead sponsors of the Public Service Reform Act (H.R. 3115), which would make career federal workers at-will employees and get rid of most of the avenues currently available to appeal adverse personnel decisions. It also would abolish the MSPB and send most appeals directly to federal appellate courts, although it preserves a 14-day window for whistleblowers to allege retaliation before the Office of Special Counsel.

“It is far past time to reinstate accountability to the people for the federal bureaucracy by requiring that like any private sector employee, federal workers can be removed from their positions,” Roy said in a statement. “Notwithstanding the majority of federal workers who faithfully serve, especially our law enforcement personnel, we should not allow a wall of red tape to shield those engaged in noncompliance with the law and brazen political partisanship. Federal employees should keep their jobs based on merit, just like the people they serve.”  

The bill also allows for federal workers to appeal adverse personnel actions they believe were discriminatory to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, although the legislation requires EEOC to scrap its policies relating to the federal workforce and apply private sector rules to the proceedings.

And it creates a disincentive to federal workers filing appeals of their firings through a provision that says that if a court finds a complaint to be “frivolous” or otherwise “brought in bad faith,” the employee’s defined benefit annuity is automatically reduced by 25%.

“It’s clear that the bureaucracy of the federal government is both a waste of taxpayer dollars and inefficient,” Scott said in a statement. “Red tape and bloated federal agencies constantly slow down progress and hamper American innovation. It’s time to change Washington so it actually works for the American people. The public Service Reform Act will boost accountability and responsiveness across the federal government by making all executive branch employees at-will.”

Note the lack of good will here. Also note the hatred of the deep state that the radical right has been howling about for decades. The Republican fascist definition of a frivolous appeal is one that inconveniences their democracy and transparency killing agenda. The Republican Party clearly intends to do to American democracy the same as what Orban did to democracy in Hungary. There is no significant difference here. If the American radical right gets its way, America too will cease to be a democracy.