Staff Reports
The investigation into telework practices by the federal government just took an intriguing turn, thanks to Senators Joni Ernst and Ted Cruz, who have decided enough is enough. After discovering that the Department of Transportation (DOT) spends a jaw-dropping $224 million every year to keep the lights on in a nearly vacant headquarters, these two senators are launching a much-needed probe into those cozy remote-work arrangements. Apparently, some bureaucrats think “working from home” just means logging into Zoom in their pajamas.
Back in July, Ernst and Cruz lit the spark of this investigation when whistleblowers from multiple agencies blew the whistle on a free-for-all atmosphere of telework that was failing to meet any in-office work standards. Fast forward to a newly penned letter, and now the senators are calling on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the dire situation across DOT’s extensive set of buildings nationwide. After all, with the DOT’s Washington, D.C. headquarters operating at a meager 14 percent capacity in early 2023, it begs the question: is anybody actually working?
EXCLUSIVE: GOP Senators Expand Probe Into Biden Admin’s Telework Boondoggle Costing Taxpayers Millions Per Year https://t.co/SC5vIM7gyB
— IJR (@TheIJR) August 7, 2024
To add to the absurdity, GAO reports indicate that out of 24 agencies examined, many weren’t using even half of their office space. It’s no surprise that senators are getting antsy about the taxpayer dollars being squandered on premises that are more often than not left deserted, echoing the sentiments of concerned citizens who are wondering why they’re funding these expansive office spaces while government workers make themselves comfortable at home.
The senators have also turned their sights on the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce, probing how often their employees are actually making it into the office. Evidence has surfaced showing that in one agency, 60 percent of staff are showing up for work just once a week and another 20 percent only twice. Clearly, the trend of remote work isn’t just a passing phase—it’s a full-blown epidemic. When Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter remarked that whether FTC employees come into the office is “not particularly important,” it was like throwing down the gauntlet. After all, it’s only the taxpayers footing the bill for these desolate offices.
In response to this rampant abuse of telework, Ernst recently introduced the SHOW UP Act, aiming to wrangle in the out-of-control administrative state. Ernst has alluded to these telework practices being just the tip of the iceberg, expressing concerns that there’s a significant number of bureaucrats not showing up, even though COVID is long gone. The reality is that hard-working taxpayers deserve to know if anyone is actually occupying the space they are funding.
Cruz echoed these concerns, lamenting that citizens are expected to foot the $224 million annual bill for a DOT headquarters that’s barely functioning at its designed capacity. Together, Ernst and Cruz are not just putting bureaucrats on alert—they’re demanding accountability. With the government purportedly preparing to undertake a review of its office space, it will be interesting to see if this leads to any substantive changes in how taxpayer money is managed and if anyone truly starts showing up to work.
