Never underestimate Washington’s ability to turn a controversial but apolitical issue into a partisan battle. The latest example is something called the Show Up Act, which stands for Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems.
The bill passed the House on a virtually party-line vote, with only one Republican against and only three Democrats for. It would require federal agencies to return to their pre-pandemic telework levels, effectively ignoring the new normal of the hybrid workplace. It also doesn’t stand a chance in the Democratic Senate.
Nonetheless, the floor debate was heated. Republicans blamed bureaucratic backlogs on pandemic-era remote work policies. They accused Democrats of supporting dysfunctional government and alleged that President Joe Biden can’t submit his budget on time because too many staffers are working from home. Democrats, for their part, charged that Republicans don’t like federal workers and want to roll back the clock on work the in the same way that they want to roll it back on abortion and even slavery.
