The military’s shipyards and maintenance depots would be guarded from any future hiring freezes ordered by President Trump under an amendment to a budget bill passed Wednesday evening by the House.
The protections are being considered after Trump called a 90-day halt to federal hiring as one of his first acts in office, causing a scramble by the military to issue individual hiring exemptions to allow needed work on ships and hardware to continue.
The House added the amendment, sponsored by Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, to the National Defense Authorization Act, which was heading toward a final floor vote this week.
Trump’s hiring freeze was part of his campaign promises to slim down a vast federal government workforce. It included exemptions for military personnel and allowed Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to make further exemptions where needed.
Democrats pounced on the move, saying it was holding up the shipyards and depots at a time when the military is overstretched and struggling to maintain aging equipment.
