The House passed a bill Thursday, which would give Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld authority over hiring, firing, pay and transfer of more than 700,000 defense employees, more than a quarter of the entire federal civilian workforce. Rumsfeld claims that the plan will help him move civilians into desk jobs held by uniformed military personnel, making more money available to respond to worldwide threats. Opponents fear that the plan will leave many career employees without long-established civil service protections and gives Rumsfeld too much control over rules and regulations.
See "Rumsfeld's Pentagon Staff Plan Advances", Nick Anderson, Los Angeles Times, May 22, 2003