Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst introduced legislation Thursday that would track to what extent American taxpayers are subsidizing federal employee unions.
The Daily Caller first obtained a copy of the legislation, which is titled the Taxpayer-Funded Union Time Transparency Act. The bill would specifically require federal agencies to produce annual time reports to document the cost to the agency of official time; detailed explanation of the purpose for instances when the agency authorized official time; and details on each employee who was authorized for official time.
President Joe Biden’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) stopped reporting “taxpayer-funded union time,” or “official time,” which agencies use to pay federal employees to conduct activities on behalf of federal employee labor unions, not the agencies which employ them or U.S. taxpayers.
In 2019, which is the last year for which data is available, OPM reported that union activities during official time cost taxpayers $135 million. Federal employees spent 2.6 million hours, or 296 years, working for their union instead of doing their agency jobs.
READ THE LEGISLATION HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
Ernst is introducing the bill during “Sunshine Week,” which is the the annual celebration of transparency in government. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Joni Ernst Demands Biden Admin Explain Where US Taxpayer Dollars Are Going In Ukraine)
“It’s absurd that Iowans are forced to pay for federal employee unions that are fighting tooth and nail against workers returning to the office,” Ernst told the Caller before introducing the bill. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Ernst Introduces Legislation To Hold SBA Accountable For $200 Billion In Fraud)
“During Sunshine Week, I’m dragging shady spending into the light and exposing abuse of our dollars. Public service should always be about benefiting taxpayers, not bureaucrats. From failing to return to the office to wasting time on the job, we cannot allow the Biden administration to disregard critical reporting requirements and transparency measures. Every cent of Iowans’ hard-earned money should be serving them, not bargaining for more tele-‘work,’” she added.