Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.
Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation requiring federal employees to return to pre-pandemic work policies, including reducing remote work policies.
Some shit you should know before you read: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government significantly expanded remote work options for its employees as a public health measure to ensure safety while maintaining operations. These telework policies were initially introduced as a temporary response but were later embraced and extended throughout President Biden’s presidency. Under the Biden administration, telework became a key component of federal workforce management, with over one million federal employees either working remotely full-time or engaging in hybrid work arrangements as of 2024. The administration defended these policies, citing their role in modernizing the workplace and offering flexibility, though critics argued that the long-term adoption of remote work hindered agency performance and left federal office spaces largely unused.

What’s going on now: In an announcement, Congressman James Comer (R-KY), Chair of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, introduced the Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems (SHOW UP) Act, legislation aimed at rolling back federal telework policies to pre-pandemic levels. The bill would require all federal agencies to reinstate 2019 telework policies within 30 days and submit detailed studies to Congress within six months. These reports must analyze how pandemic-era telework levels affected agency performance, network security, service delivery, and taxpayer expenses, particularly the costs associated with maintaining largely unused federal office spaces. Additionally, the legislation prevents federal agencies from expanding telework policies unless they present certified plans to Congress.
In a statement, Comer said, “The pandemic is long over and it’s past time for the federal workforce to show up to the office to better fulfill agencies’ missions and serve the American people. The Biden Administration has sought to cement pandemic-era telework for federal employees despite providing no evidence that telework is working for the American people. To the contrary, our investigation reveals federal telework has harmed the fulfillment of agency missions and the delivery of critical services to the American people, while hiking taxpayer costs as federal buildings sit empty in the Washington, D.C. area. We look forward to advancing this bill and working with President Trump to ensure the federal workforce shows up for the American people to accomplish their work efficiently and effectively.”
The SHOW UP Act is co-sponsored by the following lawmakers, Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Eric Burlison (R-MO), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Pat Fallon (R-TX), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Brian Jack (R-GA), Nick Langworthy (R-NY), John McGuire (R-VA), Gary Palmer (R-AK), Scott Perry (R-PA), Pete Sessions (R-TX), and William Timmons (R-SC).