Comer highlights bill challenging work from home deal for federal employees

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) on Tuesday highlighted a bill he previously introduced that challenges a deal for hybrid work protections of federal employees.

“THOUSANDS of federal employees just landed a work from home deal ahead of @realDonaldTrump taking office,” Comer said in a post on the social platform X. “This is why I introduced the SHOW UP Act. Our government needs to show up for the people it serves.”

Comer, the House Oversight and Accountability Committee chair, introduced the SHOW UP Act in February 2023, which passed in the House.

The bill intends to require federal agencies to reinstate their 2019 telework policies, after many agencies and offices across the country transitioned to virtual, work-from-home opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last week, a Biden administration appointee reportedly agreed to lock in hybrid work protections as President-elect Trump and his administration prepare to take over early next year.

The protections target tens of thousands of Social Security staff and are part of several efforts in anticipation of Trump’s plan to reshape America’s workforce, Bloomberg first reported.

The outlet noted that the American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing more than 40,000 employees, reached an agreement with the Social Security Administration (SSA) last week.

It will protect hybrid and telework until 2029.

The deal will “maintain current levels of telework,” not necessarily increase them, according to a deal signed by President Biden’s former SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley.

Trump has appointed tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head a new organization, the “Department of Government Efficiency.” They have announced plans for “mass” federal layoffs.

In his post, Comer tagged Ramaswamy and Musk and said it is “time to hold the bureaucracy accountable.”