Lee and Cline Sponsor Bill to Stop Spending Tax Dollars on Union Activities

National Right to Work Committee President applauds legislation to make government employees do their actual jobs while on the clock.

Washington, D.C. (April 7, 2025) – Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Congressman Ben Cline (R-VA-6) announced the reintroduction of the No Union Time on the Taxpayer’s Dime Act to ensure that public employees do the jobs that taxpayers are paying them to do by putting an end to the practice of union “official time” throughout the federal workforce.

In 2019, before President Biden ordered the OPM to stop tracking and reporting this so-called “official time,” employees across the federal government were paid $135 Million to do 2.6 million hours of union work while “on the clock,” at their government jobs.

According to a 2016 OPM report, official time can be used for, among other things:

• “Lobbying Congress concerning pending or desired legislation affecting bargaining unit employees (e.g. bills on Federal pay and benefits, etc.)”
• “Allowing certain employees to spend 100 percent of their time handling union representation functions while being paid by Federal agencies”

National Right to Work Committee President Mark Mix commended Lee and Cline’s introduction of the bill:

“Federal government unions are heavily involved in party politics. They stage massive political protests, and contribute large amounts of money and manpower to influence elections. Employees of these unions should not have their salaries paid by American taxpayers.

“This bill will end the outrageous payment of tax dollars to union officials pretending to be government employees.”

Ernst and Perry bill mandates repayment of ‘official time’ pay and other union boss giveaways

Mix also praised legislation introduced by Senator Joni Ernst (R- IA) and Congressman Scott Perry (R-PA-10) which would require union bosses to reimburse taxpayers for the official time and other perks they consume.

Under the Protecting Taxpayer Wallets Act (S. 511/H.R. 1210), union officials must pay back all official time pay, plus any other government resources they currently receive “including agency office space, parking space, equipment, and reimbursement for expenses incurred while on union time or otherwise performing non-agency business.”

Perry and Ernst’s language is eligible for inclusion in a budget reconciliation bill because its fee-based approach creates a new revenue stream, which means it can pass the Senate with just 51 votes, instead of the 60 that are normally required to overcome a filibuster.

“As they craft a budget reconciliation bill, House and Senate leaders should include Senator Ernst and Congressman Perry’s official time language, which would save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars, and prevent government unions from forcing taxpayers to fund their political efforts,” said Mix.

“Then, Congress should pass Senator Lee and Congressman Cline’s bill, so that government employees are totally prevented from performing union duties while on the clock at their government jobs.”