, Columnist
Should the Bureaucrats Get Back to Their Desks?
How Republicans and Democrats in Congress turned the work-from-home debate into a partisan issue.
How full are those offices?
Photographer: HUM Images/Universal Images Group EditorialThis article is for subscribers only.
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 last week 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.