Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4171, a bill I introduced with Congressman Connolly, to extend Federal agencies' authority to conduct a telework pilot program. The Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 provided Federal agencies, and specifically the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, with the authority to conduct a pilot program to incentivize telework. The pilot program allows agencies to waive the reimbursement of travel costs for teleworking employees who return to headquarters for mandatory training programs. Both agencies and employees benefit from this arrangement. Agencies benefit from having an additional tool for recruitment and retention. Agencies also realize cost savings by allowing employees to work at different locations. For example, according to the USPTO, its telework program saved $77.4 million in fiscal year 2016 alone. The savings are related to lower real estate costs and increased personnel retention. In turn, teleworking employees can work from almost anywhere in the United States. The teleworking program moves USPTO employees into the communities that they serve. For example, in my State of Montana, the pilot program allowed the USPTO to place patent examiners in Bozeman, Butte, Billings, and Missoula. Teleworking can grow opportunities in our communities that aren't close to highly populated areas that house Federal agencies.…”