Republican lawmakers Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa and Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania introduced a bill on Tuesday aimed at ensuring government unions reimburse the federal government for resources and time spent on union activities within federal offices.
The “Protecting Taxpayers’ Wallets Act of 2025,” introduced by Ernst and Perry, mandates that unions compensate the government for the use of federal employee time and government resources in advancing union activities. Ernst emphasized to the Daily Caller News Foundation that taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund negotiations that secure favorable benefits for federal workers.
“Public funds should serve the taxpayers, not government bureaucrats,” Ernst asserted. “Every hard-earned dollar from Americans should be allocated to their benefit, rather than financing negotiations for federal employee perks. I am focused on ensuring Washington gets back to work and putting an end to these subsidies for federal unions.”
Citing data from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Ernst highlighted that federal employees dedicated approximately 2.6 million hours—nearly three centuries’ worth of work—to union activities, costing taxpayers at least $135 million. Additionally, unions utilized at least $24 million in office space and supplies funded by taxpayers.
Perry also criticized the practice, stating, “Forcing American taxpayers to cover the costs of federal union organizing is both unacceptable and absurd. If federal employees and resources are used for union-related tasks, then unions should bear the expense.”
The proposed legislation would prohibit agency leaders from waiving reimbursement requirements and impose penalties on both union representatives who fail to log their “union time” and unions that do not reimburse agencies for the resources and time utilized for union activities.
Previously, Ernst introduced the Taxpayer-Funded Union Time Transparency Act in 2024 after government employee unions resisted returning to in-person work. Her investigations into telework resulted in a 60-page report released on December 5, detailing the challenges linked to remote work among federal employees.
Ernst also uncovered cases of abuse associated with “union time,” including an employee who relocated to Florida and worked in real estate while being compensated under the union time policy. Another case involved a federal worker who utilized “union time” while incarcerated for a DUI offense.
Past inquiries by Ernst into telecommuting have revealed complications with locality pay, a system designed to adjust federal employees’ wages to align with private-sector compensation in their respective areas.
In an August 2023 letter addressed to 24 government agencies, Ernst referenced a media report detailing a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employee attending a staff meeting while taking a bubble bath. Additionally, she highlighted an instance involving a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) employee who received Washington, D.C., locality pay while residing full-time in Florida. This individual retired before the investigation was concluded, as noted in an April 30 summary from the USAID inspector general’s office.
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