Mon Feb 03 05:10:00 UTC 2025: **USDA Mandates Return-to-Office Following Senator Ernst’s Efficiency Push**
WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a leading advocate for government efficiency, announced a victory in her campaign to reduce federal waste. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) has implemented a return-to-office mandate for its employees, a direct result of Senator Ernst’s efforts, which were initially sparked by a 2024 whistleblower report alleging widespread vacancy in USDA’s D.C. offices.
The mandate, detailed in a memo from Acting Agriculture Secretary Gary Washington, requires senior staff to work full-time from their offices. This action follows Senator Ernst’s investigation into government waste and abuse, which highlighted the significant underutilization of federal office space. A Government Accountability Office report indicated that only 11% of USDA’s office space was occupied in the first quarter of 2023.
Senator Ernst credits a 2024 whistleblower who revealed the largely vacant USDA offices in Washington D.C. as the catalyst for her initiative. She framed the USDA’s return-to-office mandate as a “full-circle moment,” reflecting her ongoing efforts to improve government efficiency. Her work has gained support from President Trump, who previously emphasized the unfairness of widespread telework to those working in physically demanding jobs.
Representative Aaron Bean (R-Fla.), chairman of the DOGE Caucus (a group focused on government efficiency), praised Senator Ernst’s work, stating that the mandate is “common sense” and exemplifies the type of waste reduction the caucus aims to achieve.
Senator Ernst’s efforts have already yielded other successes, including a provision in the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act to sell the underutilized Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building and an amendment requiring agency oversight and reporting regarding telework.
The White House has not yet commented on the USDA’s new policy.
First Piper 