December 6, 2017

Dear Congressman Comer:

On behalf of more than 3.2 million Americans for Prosperity activists across all 50 states, I write
in support of your legislation, H.R. 4182, the EQUALS Act, which is a step in the right direction
toward a more efficient, accountable, and productive federal workforce.
Under current law, it is unnecessarily difficult to remove federal employees who underperform at
their jobs. New hires in the federal workforce complete a probationary period of one year before
their appointments are finalized. After the probationary period ends, federal employees fall under
significantly more restrictive protections, often making it hard to fire unproductive workers.
These overly restrictive policies limit agencies ability to address productivity concerns when
they emerge later when the firing process can take from six months to a year instead limiting
action to a narrow early period where issues may not yet have emerged or become apparent.
The EQUALS Act would extend the probationary period for appointments to the competitive
service and initial appointments as supervisors and managers from one year to two years after the
completion of required training and licensing. Doubling the probationary period for federal
employees is a significant improvement to the current system, and will enable federal employers
to catch more problems before it becomes too late to do anything about it.
As a result of current law, the layoff and discharge rate for federal employers is barely a
third that of the private sector. Current law requires taxpayers to continue to pay the salaries of
unproductive employees, putting our federal workforce at a disadvantage, holding back
innovation, and reducing efficiency. The EQUALS Act would begin to pull the federal
bureaucracy even with the more effective, efficient, and accountable private sector.
Americans for Prosperity applauds this effort, and is proud to support H.R. 4182, the EQUALS
Act, in order to improve the federal government workforce serving the American people.
Sincerely,

Brent Gardner
Chief Government Affairs Officer
Americans for Prosperity

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) exists to recruit, educate, and mobilize citizens in support of the policies and goals of a free society at
the local, state, and federal level, helping every American live their dream especially the least fortunate. AFP has more than 3.2 million
activists across the nation, a local infrastructure that includes 36 state chapters, and has received financial support from more than 100,000
Americans in all 50 states. For more information, visit www.AmericansForProsperity.org.