Top DOGE senator to demand lame-duck Biden agencies halt costly telework talks, citing voter mandate

Sen. Joni Ernst, the top DOGE Republican in the Senate, is taking a stand against what she sees as excessive work-from-home privileges for federal employees. Ernst has sent 24 letters to each major federal agency head demanding a halt to last-minute negotiations on telework before President Biden returns to Delaware.

Ernst, who chairs the Senate GOP Policy Committee, recently introduced legislation known as the “DRAIN THE SWAMP Act,” which aims to decentralize and relocate one-third of the federal workforce outside of Washington, D.C. She argues that many government agencies are currently operating with office spaces that are half-empty, even two years after the COVID-19 pandemic began.

In her letters, Ernst highlights that 90% of telework-eligible federal employees are still working from home, with only 6% reporting that they are doing so on a full-time basis. She accuses public-sector unions of dictating personnel policy without regard for federal directives from the Office of Management & Budget (OMB), leading to wasted time, space, and money.

Ernst is particularly critical of the Biden administration’s alleged willingness to cater to union demands at the expense of taxpayers. She points out that President Roosevelt, a Democrat, once opposed unionization of public employees, arguing that collective bargaining has its limitations when applied to government personnel management.

The senator claims that union bosses and career agency management have undue influence over government operations. She highlights instances where officials like former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, while serving as Biden’s Social Security Administration chief, allegedly prioritized union interests over taxpayers’ interests.

Ernst is demanding transparency from federal agencies on issues such as taxpayer-funded union time, unused real estate holdings designated for union use, and instances of agencies providing discounts or free use of department property to unions or their employees. She believes that federal workers have had enough time working from home and should be brought back to the office.

Ernst’s efforts to reign in telework privileges for federal employees have sparked controversy and debate. Whether her demands will lead to significant changes in government policy remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the issue of telework and union influence in the federal government is likely to remain a hot topic in the months to come.