Congress Looks to Crack Down on Feds Taking Time Off to Campaign

Congressional oversight leaders want to rein in federal agencies allowing employees to take unpaid leave in order to campaign with their unions, sending requests for detailed information to agencies across government. The data will “ensure federal agencies are granting leave without pay in a politically neutral manner,” said Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C. and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., the chairmen of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The lawmakers made their inquiries to 10 agency leaders following findings by the U.S. Postal Service inspector general and the Office of Special Counsel that the mailing agency unlawfully pressured supervisors to approve unpaid leave for employees last year to campaign for political candidates endorsed by their unions.