{"id":2117299,"date":"2023-12-06T11:36:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T16:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ernst-exposes-naughty-list-of-federal-agencies-using-as-little-as-7-percent-of-dc-office-space\/"},"modified":"2023-12-06T11:44:03","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T16:44:03","slug":"ernst-exposes-naughty-list-of-federal-agencies-using-as-little-as-7-percent-of-dc-office-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ernst-exposes-naughty-list-of-federal-agencies-using-as-little-as-7-percent-of-dc-office-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Ernst reveals &#8216;Naughty List&#8217; of agencies using only 7% of DC office space"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fernst-exposes-naughty-list-of-federal-agencies-using-as-little-as-7-percent-of-dc-office-space%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2117299&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div>\n<div>\n<figure>\n    <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Iowa Senator Calls Out Federal \u200bAgencies\u2062 for Wasting Office Space<\/h2>\n<p>Iowa\u2062 Republican \u200cSen. Joni Ernst didn&#8217;t \u200dhold back in her criticism of federal\u2064 agencies&#8217; work-from-home policies. In a press conference on Capitol Hill, Ernst unveiled a &#8220;naughty list&#8221; of agencies with \u2064shockingly low employee occupancy rates, leaving expensive office buildings empty.<\/p>\n<p>Ernst dramatically rolled\u200b open a \u200bscroll to reveal the \u2063top offenders, with the \u2063Department \u200bof Housing and\u200c Urban Development and Social Security Administration taking the lead,\u2062 utilizing \u2063only 7 percent of their office space.<\/p>\n<p>  <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-F8rJr5DcCQ?si=WlQ0eLq-Hm5CR4Wi&#038;enablejsapi=1\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Not a single agency has\u200d an occupancy rate of\u2064 even 50 percent,&#8221; Ernst declared. &#8220;If \u200dwe&#8217;re not\u200b going to \u200dwork \u2063in these\u200d agencies, maybe we should consider getting rid of this space,\u2062 because it&#8217;s costing us a fortune.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ernst&#8217;s percentages are based on a \u2062report from the Government Accountability \u2062Office (GAO), which analyzed the three-month average utilization of federal agency offices. Back \u2063in August, Ernst demanded that each agency \u2063reevaluate \u200btheir remote work protocols, three years\u2062 after\u2064 the initial wave \u2064of COVID-19 lockdowns. She even \u200bcreated\u200c a monthly\u2062 &#8220;Squeal Award&#8221; to highlight the abuse of work-from-home \u2064policies.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Remote work can save taxpayer money and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-cut-university-of-wisconsins-budget-by-32m-for-promoting-dei-programs\/\" title=\"GOP slashes UW budget by M over DEI support.\">attract talented individuals<\/a> to\u2064 public service,&#8221; Ernst wrote to agency \u200binspector\u2064 generals. &#8220;However, it only works when it \u2064doesn&#8217;t hinder the\u2063 agency&#8217;s \u200dmission, delay service delivery, or impede workforce \u2062management and financial responsibility.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Worst Offenders Revealed<\/h3>\n<p>According to the GAO report obtained\u2062 by The Federalist, \u200cthe Department of Housing \u2064and Urban Development and the Social Security Administration are just the tip of the iceberg. The Small Business Administration, Department of Agriculture, General\u200b Services Administration, and the Department of \u200cVeterans \u2064Affairs all have shockingly \u2062low\u200d office occupancy rates.<\/p>\n<p>One VA\u2062 employee even made headlines for participating in a conference call from a bubble bath, proudly sharing a photo on social media. The average office occupancy rate \u200cfor the VA stands at 14 percent.<\/p>\n<p>Ernst is \u200cnow urging federal \u200cagencies to take action \u200cand \u2062eliminate vacant office space.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s time for Biden&#8217;s\u200b bureaucrats\u200d to get back to work or\u200c give up their \u2063expensive, unused offices,&#8221; Ernst \u2064exclusively\u2062 told The Federalist. &#8220;If my\u2062 oversight hasn&#8217;t\u200b motivated them to return yet, \u200dit&#8217;s probably \u200bbecause they&#8217;re too busy enjoying bubble\u2062 baths on\u200d the taxpayers&#8217; \u2063dime. Every day they\u2063 delay, more taxpayer dollars go down the \u2063drain, fueling the D.C.\u200d swamp.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Some lawmakers have \u200cpreviously proposed relocating federal agency headquarters from Washington to various states. In 2019, GOP Sens. Josh\u2064 Hawley and\u2064 Marsha Blackburn introduced the &#8220;Helping Infrastructure\u2064 Restore the Economy (HIRE) \u2063Act&#8221; to achieve just that.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>Tristan Justice\u200c is \u200bthe\u2064 western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter on\u200b culture, health, and wellness. His work \u2062has\u2063 been\u2064 featured in various publications, including The Washington Examiner and The \u2064Daily Signal. Tristan graduated from George Washington University with \u200ca major in political \u200dscience and a minor \u200cin journalism. Follow\u2064 him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or\u2064 contact him at \u200cTristan@thefederalist.com.\u200c Sign up\u2064 for Tristan&#8217;s email newsletter <a href=\"https:\/\/socialjusticeredux.substack.com\/about\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u200dHow does Ernst&#8217;s suggestion of potentially getting rid of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-commercial-real-estate-crash-coming-to-san-francisco\/\" title=\"The Commercial Real Estate Crash Coming To San Francisco\">empty office space<\/a> address the issue of\u200b wasteful use of resources, and what alternative solutions could be explored<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ernst&#8217;s concerns about the wasteful use of office \u2062space by federal agencies\u200b are \u200bnot unwarranted. With the ongoing trend of remote\u200c work becoming more prevalent, it\u2062 is \u200bessential for government agencies\u2064 to assess their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-agencies-using-just-25-percent-of-their-office-space-watchdog-reveals\/\" title=\"Watchdog reveals federal agencies only using 25% of office space.\">office utilization rates<\/a> and make necessary adjustments to optimize resources and save taxpayer money.<\/p>\n<p>The figures\u200c presented by Ernst, based on \u2062the GAO report, are startling. The Department of \u2063Housing and Urban Development and the Social Security Administration, \u2062two \u2063major \u2064federal agencies, are utilizing a \u200cmere 7 percent of their\u2064 office space. This means\u200c that the majority of the office buildings owned \u200band operated by these agencies are sitting empty, \u2062incurring unnecessary costs.<\/p>\n<p>Ernst&#8217;s suggestion of potentially\u200b getting rid of the empty office space may seem \u200bradical,\u200b but it is a valid solution to address\u2062 this issue. If agencies are \u2064not utilizing the space they have, it only makes sense to reevaluate the need for such buildings and explore\u2064 more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/buttigieg-took-taxpayer-funded-private-jets-trumps-hhs-sec-was-forced-to-resign-for-doing-that\/\" title=\"Buttigieg Took Taxpayer-Funded Private Jets. Trump\u2019s HHS Sec Was Forced To Resign For Doing That.\">cost-effective alternatives<\/a>. This\u2062 could \u2063include downsizing office spaces, \u2064consolidating locations, or implementing\u200d flexible work arrangements that allow employees \u200cto work remotely.<\/p>\n<p>It is crucial\u2062 to note that Ernst&#8217;s criticism is not directed at the idea\u2064 of remote\u2064 work itself. She acknowledges that \u200dremote work has the potential to save \u2062taxpayer money and attract talented individuals to public service. However, she \u2062emphasizes that it\u200b should not \u2063hinder an agency&#8217;s mission, delay service delivery, or impede workforce management and financial responsibility.<\/p>\n<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated \u200cthe adoption\u2063 of\u2062 remote work\u2064 across various industries, including\u200d government agencies. While the \u2064initial lockdowns forced organizations \u2064to quickly implement remote work\u200d policies, it is now essential\u2063 to reassess and fine-tune these protocols to ensure maximum efficiency and productivity.<\/p>\n<p>Ernst&#8217;s creation of the monthly &#8220;Squeal Award&#8221; to highlight misuse or abuse of remote work \u2064policies \u2063demonstrates her commitment\u200c to \u2064holding agencies accountable. This award\u2064 serves as a \u2062reminder of the importance of responsible and effective\u2064 remote work practices\u200c within the public\u2063 sector.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, Ernst&#8217;s call-out of federal agencies for wasting office space is a\u2064 necessary step towards \u2063optimizing resources and\u2063 ensuring financial responsibility. The GAO report provides concrete evidence of \u200cthe problem at hand, and\u200d it is essential for\u2064 agencies to\u2064 reevaluate their office utilization rates and \u200dexplore alternatives\u200b such \u2064as downsizing or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/four-day-workweek-world-economic-forum-weighs-the-merits-of-the-upper-class-working-less\/\" title=\"Four-Day Workweek? World Economic Forum Weighs The Merits Of The \u2018Upper Class\u2019 Working Less\">implementing flexible work arrangements<\/a>. By doing so, agencies\u200c can save taxpayer money and attract talented individuals without compromising their\u2063 missions or \u2062service delivery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iowa Senator Joni Ernst criticized federal agencies&#8217; remote work policies, presenting a list of agencies that have empty office buildings due to employees working from home. Ernst unveiled the &#8220;naughty list&#8221; of agencies with the lowest employee occupancy rates, expressing concern about the wastefulness of maintaining vacant offices<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":494,"featured_media":2117300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2117299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2117299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/494"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2117299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2117299\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2117300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2117299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2117299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2117299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}