Whoops! Witness Notes Boebert’s Obsolete Data on Federal Workers: ‘You’re Basing That from 2020, Which Is in the Last Administration’

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) attempted to use pandemic-era data to claim that 25% of federal employees are not logging on to do their jobs. She cited a January 2021 report that reflected data from the previous year when the pandemic was still raging, Covid vaccines were not widely available, and many public and private sector employees were working remotely.

During Thursday’s hearing of the House Oversight Committee, Boebert questioned Kiran Ahuja, the director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management about how many federal workers are still working remotely. Ahuja replied that she did not have that information, but the various federal agencies would:

BOEBERT: According to the OPM website, it is official policy for the federal employee to receive a lump sum payment for any unused annual leave when he or she separates from federal service, meaning, if any employee does not use all of their time, they will receive payment sometimes totaling multiple thousands of dollars.

Now, normal vacation days no longer have to be reported in a traditional sense under agency telework policies, allowing employees to claim that they will be teleworking and instead while they’re spending all day at a swim-up bar in Cabo.

So, with over 25% of department employees not logging into work without agency officials or even the director of the OMB noticing, can you tell me, Director Ahuja, are the American taxpayers paying bureaucrats thousands of dollars to vacation under the guise of agencies’ telework policies?”

AHUJA: Well, congresswoman, I actually take issue with the characterization that there’s a change in policy. I’ll tell you at OPM, individuals have to document their hours every pay period. And so, I’m not aware of the policy change that you’re speaking of.”

BOEBERT: You’re not aware of any employee taking something one would consider a vacation time and bringing their computer and maybe logging in just a portion of that time or not at all? We have more than 25% of federal employees not logging into work, and they’re teleworking.

AHUJA: Congresswoman, I do take issue with the characterization that 25% of individuals are not logging in.

BOEBERT: It’s in this leaked document right here that we just submitted into the record.

AHUJA: You’re basing that from 2020, which is in the last administration. And I can’t speak to that particular incident.

Boebert again asked Ahuja about the number of full-time, part-time, and teleworking employees in the federal government. She reiterated that Boebert would have to ask individual agencies for those numbers.

The congresswoman concluded by saying she hopes the OPM will strive to collect the data she was seeking with her line of questioning.

Watch above via the House Oversight Committee.