U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee, has called for increased transparency at the Small Business Administration (SBA) regarding its telework policies and the utilization of taxpayer-funded resources. Ernst recently exposed that the SBA is only utilizing nine percent of its headquarters in Washington, D.C., which is maintained using taxpayer money.
In a letter to SBA Administrator Isabella Guzman, Ernst expressed concern over the high vacancy rate at the SBA headquarters and its impact on small business owners seeking assistance and customer service. Ernst highlighted the downsizing of district office support and the growth of staff at the D.C. headquarters, which has allegedly led to a 300 percent reduction in the SBA's workforce in Iowa over eight years. She also raised concerns about the prevalence of teleworking at the headquarters.
Ernst emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in the Biden administration's telework policies, stating, "My role is to ensure your agency is properly utilizing remote work in ways which truly support small businesses in Iowa and across the United States—not simply because bureaucrats don’t want to return to the office."
The letter requests more information on the labor dispute between the SBA and its labor union, a briefing on telework policy changes, data on taxpayer-funded union time and locality pay, and information on the SBA's plans to address the underutilization of its office space.
This call for accountability is part of Ernst's ongoing efforts to address telework abuse in the federal government. In August, she demanded investigations into 24 federal departments and agencies to assess the impact of telework on service delivery and response times. Following her advocacy, the General Services Administration's Inspector General is considering an audit to evaluate the appropriate utilization of physical office space. The GSA has also announced plans to downsize federal buildings, saving taxpayers over $1 billion.
Ernst has been a strong proponent of holding the Biden administration accountable for the cost and impact of continued remote work by Washington bureaucrats. She passed an amendment to increase accountability for federal telework abuse.
The letter to the SBA and Ernst's efforts to address telework abuse can be found on her website.
Source: [Senate Small Business Committee](https://www.sbc.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2023/12/with-only-nine-percent-of-its-d-c-office-space-being-used-ernst-demands-accountability-for-telework-abuse-at-sba)
To find out more, go to this link: https://www.sbc.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=98949AB3-9A26-48A8-8F92-9EA4BDF34501
