Speaker Johnson Calls for Federal Employees to Return to Their Desks

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) declared Thursday that the GOP-led Congress, alongside President-elect Donald Trump, will prioritize getting federal employees back into the office as part of a broader push for government accountability and efficiency. Johnson made the remarks during a Capitol Hill meeting with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who have been tapped to lead Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“One of the first things that I think you’ll see is a demand from the new administration and from all of us in Congress that federal workers return to their desks and get back to the work that they’re supposed to be doing. I think that is common sense,” Johnson told reporters.

He framed the initiative as part of a larger effort to restore accountability in government, stating, “What you’re going to see here the overriding theme here is a return to common sense and a return to accountability and efficiency in government. I think that’s going to serve the people well.”

The push comes amid new revelations about the state of remote work within the federal government. A Senate investigation led by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) found that just 6% of federal employees work full-time in an office, while a third operate entirely remotely. The report also exposed instances of employees failing to meet productivity standards while working from home.

Speaking to these findings, Johnson expressed frustration, stating, “By one estimate, it may be about 1% [of federal employees working in-office] if you don’t count the security personnel that are covering these buildings. That is absurd, and it’s not something the American people would stand for.”

Elon Musk, a vocal critic of excessive government spending, responded to the report on X, noting, “If you exclude security guards & maintenance personnel, the number of government workers who show up in person and do 40 hours of work a week is closer to 1%! Almost no one.”

Vivek Ramaswamy, DOGE’s co-chair, highlighted the financial waste associated with remote work. “Most federal workers don’t physically show up, yet the cost of maintaining & providing energy for govt office buildings is $15BN/year (not counting billions more spent on office furnishings). The government owns 7,967 vacant buildings. This is nuts,” Ramaswamy wrote on X.

The inefficiencies of maintaining empty offices have drawn attention as Republicans emphasize the need for a leaner, more effective government. Returning federal workers to their desks would signal a shift toward making the federal workforce accountable to the taxpayers who fund it.

While labor unions are expected to resist the push to end widespread remote work, Johnson signaled that the new administration is prepared to face the challenge. "This is about restoring the trust of the American people in their government," he said.

The demand for in-person work underscores the GOP’s broader effort to realign government priorities with the needs of the public while addressing waste and inefficiency.

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