House GOP grill 25 Biden admin agencies about remote work policies

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HHS Secretary Becerra refuses to answer question on federal employee telework

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra refused to answer questions on March 22, 2023, about how many of his employees at headquarters are still telecommuting, more than three years after the COVID pandemic.

FIRST ON FOX: A trio of House Republican lawmakers led letters to 25 Biden administration agencies regarding their telework programs.

House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer, R-Ky., Government Operations and Federal Workforce subcommittee chairman Pete Sessions, R-Texas, and Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., sent letters to 25 agencies about their remote work policies.

"Hard-working Americans across this country show up to work every day and the federal government workforce their taxes fund must follow their lead," Comer said in a press release exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital. "Even though the pandemic is over, the Biden Administration is allowing telework levels far above those that existed pre-pandemic."

WATCH: BIDEN’S HEALTH SECRETARY REFUSES TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON FEDERAL EMPLOYEE TELECOMMUTE BENEFITS

House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer, R-Ky., Government Operations and Federal Workforce subcommittee chairman Pete Sessions, R-Texas, and Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., sent letters to 25 agencies about their remote work policies. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

"This is occurring in an apparently indiscriminate, unaccountable manner, without oversight from the White House or the Office of Personnel Management – whose Director could not tell members what portion of federal employees are teleworking when she appeared before the Committee in March," Comer continued.

"This is unacceptable and U.S. taxpayers deserve better," he added. "Federal workers must show up to work in-person and the Oversight Committee will hold agencies accountable when their employees do not show up to work for the American people."

Sessions said in the release that the "COVID emergency is over – and most Americans have been back to work for many years."

"Taxpayers expect the same from public servants, but telework policies and outcomes are unclear across the federal government," Sessions said. "These letters will provide necessary information to allow for increased oversight and transparency."

Sessions said in the release that the "COVID emergency is over – and most Americans have been back to work for many years." (Bloomberg)

"We are taking deliberate steps to ensure taxpayers are receiving value from their government," the Texas Republican added. "I welcome federal agencies’ response and engagement in this process."

Boebert said that while "many hard-working Americans were working through the pandemic, federal bureaucrats were lounging at home and not even logging in to their computers."

"Shockingly, more than three years past the start of the pandemic, numerous public servants are still teleworking and only going into the office one day per week, all at the expense of the American taxpayer," Boebert said in the release.

"I have heard from countless constituents who did not get their tax returns back on time, who did not get their passports in a timely manner, and who did not get benefits from the VA because federal employees were teleworking," she continued.

Boebert said that while "many hard-working Americans were working through the pandemic, federal bureaucrats were lounging at home and not even logging in to their computers." (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

"The House Oversight and Accountability Committee and I are demanding transparency from federal agencies on their secretive telework policies so that the American people know what exactly their tax dollars are funding and how their public servants are serving them," Boebert added.

In the letters, the lawmakers note that the Biden administration "has allowed agencies to continue levels of telework and remote work that are significantly higher than before the pandemic" but "has not provided current data about the specific amount of telework occurring within federal agencies or across the entire federal workforce."

"Furthermore, it has provided no objective evidence concerning the impact of elevated telework on agency performance –including any deleterious impacts," the lawmakers wrote.

"We therefore seek information on the level of telework in your agency, how you have tracked its impact on performance, and what that impact has been," the Republicans continued.

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Several Republican lawmakers from the House Oversight Committee joined Comer, Sessions, and Boebert on the letters, including Reps. Lisa McClain of Michigan, Byron Donalds of Florida, and Tim Burchett of Tennessee.

The letters went to the heads of various agencies and departments in the federal government, including Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge, and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.