DHS Shutdown Continues as Congress Remains Deadlocked Over Immigration Oversight

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the 62nd Munich Security Conference on Saturday, delivering a message designed to reassure European allies of continued American commitment to the transatlantic alliance. Rubio declared that "the fate of Europe will never be irrelevant to our own" and received a standing ovation from much of the audience—a notably warmer reception than Vice President Vance received at the same forum in 2025.

Despite the diplomatic tone, Rubio made clear that the Trump administration is not adjusting its positions on migration, trade, or climate policy. He framed the alliance in terms of shared "Christian and cultural bonds," while European officials pushed back on that characterization. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, one of the few attendees who did not stand during the applause, stated: "Contrary to what some may say, woke decadent Europe is not facing civilizational erasure."

The conference also featured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who stated that Ukraine "needs a date" for EU accession and expressed hope for membership by 2027. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi used the Munich forum to signal Beijing's interest in deepening ties with European nations amid ongoing U.S.-China tensions.

The Office of Personnel Management finalized a rule establishing a new employment category called "Schedule Policy/Career"—previously known as Schedule F—that will remove civil service protections from an estimated 50,000 federal employees in positions deemed to be "policy-influencing." The rule takes effect March 8, 2026, thirty days after its publication in the Federal Register.

Under the rule, affected employees will lose their right to appeal adverse personnel decisions to the Merit Systems Protection Board and will be converted to at-will status. They will also be ineligible for student loan repayment assistance and certain recruitment and retention incentives previously available to career civil servants. The rule does not affect all federal workers—only those in senior or policy-adjacent roles across the executive branch.

Federal employee unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, filed a lawsuit challenging the rule and are seeking a court order to block it before the March 8 effective date. Supporters of the rule argue it gives elected leadership greater accountability over the federal bureaucracy, while opponents contend it politicizes positions that have traditionally been insulated from partisan influence.