Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after voting for HR 139, the Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems (SHOW UP) Act. 

The SHOW UP Act restores pre-pandemic telework policies for federal agencies and will prevent those agencies from creating permanent telework policies without first submitting certified plans to Congress. According to a Federal Times report, just one in three federal workers has returned to the office full-time after the pandemic. 

“Even President Biden is admitting the pandemic is over, so it’s way past time to get the federal workforce back in the office,” said Rep. Hern. “While federal employees from the IRS, the VA, and more have been teleworking, essential work has fallen through the cracks. Americans were unable to reach a real human being at the IRS to help with tax returns, they couldn’t access their physical military records to get important care. These problems impacted millions of people, yet the Biden Administration has dragged their feet getting these agencies back in the office. The vast majority of Americans returned to in-person work a long time ago; with the new Republican majority, proxy voting and remote legislating are no longer allowed on Capitol Hill, it’s time for the executive branch to show up.” 

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