Thoughts from Eric Berger on Sean Duffy’s additional job.
Unlike many on this platform, speaking as a space-policy expert, I have no idea whether it will hurt NASA to lose those 2000+ GS13-GS15 "senior executives," or if Duffy will be able to provide any more "leadership" than Janet Petro. I simply know too little about who they are.
— Rand Simberg (@Simberg_Space) July 10, 2025
[Afternoon update]
Speaking of interim administrators, here’s an interesting interview with Jared Isaacman.
The odds are good that all of these folks are self-serving bureaucrats – seems like a very high level of senior pay grades given the overall size of the organization.
Pournelle’s Iron Law of Bureaucracy comes to mind.
My Dad retired from Interior as a GS-14 step 9, back in the later 1980s. It’s my sense that the entire Senior Executive Service should be dismissed and barred from future Federal employment. If the states want them, that’s their lookout.