In one of its final acts, the Biden administration has thrown a bureaucratic wrench into President-elect Trump’s plans to overhaul the federal government. By securing telework protections for 42,000 Social Security Administration (SSA) employees until 2029, the outgoing administration has tied the hands of Trump’s incoming Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The agreement, signed with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), codifies remote work privileges and limits management’s ability to enforce stricter in-office requirements.
Outgoing SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley authorized the deal, which AFGE President Rich Couture praised for protecting employees and preventing attrition. “This agreement ensures the SSA can continue to serve the public,” Couture claimed. Critics, however, argue it’s a desperate attempt to entrench federal workers in a cushy system, making it harder for Trump’s team to streamline operations.
Trump’s transition team, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy under the newly formed DOGE, isn’t taking this lightly. In a scathing op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, Musk and Ramaswamy outlined their approach to dismantling bloated federal work policies. They suggested that mandatory in-office attendance could organically shrink the workforce, cutting waste without mass firings. “If federal employees don’t want to show up, American taxpayers shouldn’t pay them for the Covid-era privilege of staying home,” they wrote.
DOGE’s mission is ambitious: regulatory rollbacks, administrative reductions, and cost savings through executive action. The Biden administration’s last-minute telework agreement, however, adds a significant obstacle to their plans. Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square and rumored DOGE advisor, blasted the move as an attempt to cement the “Deep State” and sabotage Trump’s agenda. “This needs to stop now,” he said.
Senator Joni Ernst echoed the sentiment, calling the deal “unacceptable.” She vowed to work with Musk, Ramaswamy, and DOGE to reverse the agreement and get federal workers back to the office.
On its way out the door, the Biden admin is locking in telework for 42,000 @SocialSecurity bureaucrats until AFTER President Trump leaves office!
Unacceptable! ⁰
I’ll be working with @elonmusk, @VivekGRamaswamy, and @DOGE to fix this ASAP and get bureaucrats back to work.— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) December 3, 2024
The stakes are high. Telework policies, once a pandemic necessity, have become a flashpoint in the debate over government efficiency. For Trump and his reform team, this isn’t just about where employees work—it’s about dismantling what they see as an entrenched bureaucracy that prioritizes its own comfort over taxpayer accountability.
With the Biden administration locking in these telework perks, the stage is set for a showdown.
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