The U.S. House approved a bill Tuesday co-authored by a Colorado congressman that would make it harder for political appointees to switch to career jobs in the federal government.

The bill would require a two-year “cooling off” period after a political appointment ends before appointees could join the civil service.

The appointments usually end when a president leaves office.

In addition, the Office of Personnel Management would need to approve the career job hirings.

Colorado U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, R-Greeley, described the bill as an effort to ensure government jobs were merit-based rather than reflecting political favoritism.

“A political appointment is a privilege that carries with it the responsibility of serving your country,” Buck said when he introduced the legislation last year. “Part of serving your country means stepping down at the end of your term of service, and this bill simply enforces that expectation.”

Buck authored the bill along with Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif. Colorado U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, is a co-sponsor.

“Without this bill as a safeguard, political appointees can embed across our bureaucracy, carrying on the agenda of their appointing president long after voters have chosen a new direction,” Buck said.

The bill is titled the “Political Appointee Burrowing Prevention Act.” Federal workers sometimes call the switch from appointee to civil servant as “burrowing.”

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., said he would vote for the bill but that the Senate should consider amending its toughest provisions in its own version of the legislation.

“This would make it very difficult for agencies to hire political appointees into career positions in the federal government,” Connolly said. “And it would add significant hurdles to agencies seeking to hire an applicant who separated from their political appointment within the last five years, requiring them to certify that it is necessary for an agency to meet its mission. But several controls are already in place to ensure the process used to hire people is fair, open and based on merit.”

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved the bill in November.

Buck spokesman Kyle Huwa said the bill would prevent political appointees from “unfairly jumping ahead in line of the hard-working bureaucrats who have spent their life serving in government. This is one of those ‘Drain the Swamp’ bills.”