The House Oversight Committee, chaired by Rep. James Comer (R-KY), will hold its first hearing of the new Congress next week to address the impact of prolonged pandemic-era telework among federal employees. Comer's primary goal is to encourage a return to in-person work.

The hearing, scheduled for next Wednesday at 10 a.m., is titled "The Stay-at-Home Federal Workforce: Another Biden-Harris Administration Legacy." Witnesses will include former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley, Rachel Greszler of the Economic Policy Innovation Center, and Federal City Council board president Tom Davis.

O’Malley, before leaving his position, secured telework agreements for 42,000 Social Security employees, extending through 2029. Comer expressed concern that these policies, coupled with potential new agreements between the Biden administration and federal employee unions, could hinder the incoming Trump administration's efforts to bring federal workers back to the office.

Comer emphasized the importance of in-person work for effective government operations and service delivery. He argued that the current situation, with many federal buildings significantly underutilized, is detrimental to the American public. A report by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) revealed that the federal government owns over 7,000 vacant and nearly 2,500 partially empty buildings, with an average occupancy rate of just 12%.

The committee aims to scrutinize the Biden-Harris administration's approach to returning federal employees to physical offices, asserting that their perceived inaction could obstruct the incoming Trump administration's efforts due to existing and potential future telework agreements with unions. Comer reiterated the House Oversight Committee's dedication to ensuring federal employees are present to serve the public effectively.