Virginia Foxx: “Let me state a simple fact that has evidently been forgotten in Washington: The Federal workforce's primary imperative…”

“Let me state a simple fact that has evidently been forgotten in Washington: The Federal workforce's primary imperative should always be to promptly serve the American people. Unfortunately, what the American people have experienced over the past 2 years is the exact opposite of what they deserve. Thanks to the Federal Government's pandemic-era telework policies which were instituted by bureaucrats in Washington, delay and disarray might as well have become hallmarks of Federal agencies and departments. According to a Federal Times report from October of last year, just one in three Federal workers has returned to his or her office in a full-time capacity. It is abundantly clear that something must change, and House Republicans have the solution. Mr. Speaker, I am particularly pleased to serve as a cosponsor of H.R. 139, the SHOW UP Act, that is sponsored by Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer. Under this legislation, the Biden administration would be prevented from cementing pandemic-era telework policies for the Federal workforce until it provides Congress with a viable plan to avoid the negative impacts of remote work. Yet again, House Republicans are acting on our commitment to the American people to ensure a government that is accountable. Mr. Speaker, it is time that the entire Federal workforce returns to its in-person capacity and fulfills its responsibilities to the American people. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 139.”