Have you ever wondered where your tax dollars go? Citizen Outreach has joined several conservative groups supporting a new bill that tackles a surprising issue: government employees getting paid to do union work instead of their actual jobs. It’s like paying someone to mow your lawn, but they spend their time at the neighbor’s house instead.
What’s Happening With Your Money
Right now, federal workers can collect their full government salary while working for their union. This strange setup is called “official time” or “union time.” These union folks also get to use government buildings, computers, and other stuff – all on your dime.
The problem is bigger than you might think. Before recent changes at the TSA, nearly 200 security officers were doing union work full-time while still getting paid by taxpayers. At the IRS, over 550 employees were paid to do union work in 2019. At one VA hospital, a union president got half a hospital wing for an office suite!
“This is a clear misuse of taxpayer funds,” says Chuck Muth, President of Citizen Outreach, who joined other conservative groups in urging Congress to address this practice.
The Solution on the Table
Congressman Scott Perry from Pennsylvania and Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa have introduced the “Protecting Taxpayers’ Wallets Act of 2025.” This bill would make unions pay for their own activities instead of using your tax dollars.
The bill is simple: if union officials want to use government time or resources, they’d have to pay for it – just like the rest of us do when we use something that isn’t ours.
Why Conservatives Should Care
This matters to conservatives for a simple reason: limited government means responsible spending. Every dollar that goes to union activities is a dollar that’s not fixing roads, helping veterans, or being returned to hardworking Americans.
“Taxpayer dollars should benefit Americans, not subsidize organized labor,” says the letter from conservative groups to Congress. This principle of fairness is at the heart of conservative values.
What The Other Side Says
Union supporters argue that “official time” helps workers address legitimate workplace issues and improves government efficiency. They claim that union activities benefit all workers, even non-union ones.
But conservatives point out that if these activities are so valuable, unions should be willing to pay for them with the dues they collect from members, not with tax dollars.
What Might Happen Next
The bill faces challenges in a divided Congress. But growing awareness about this issue could pressure more lawmakers to support it.
If passed, the law would save millions in taxpayer dollars and set an important precedent: government resources should serve the public, not special interests.
What You Can Do
If you believe tax dollars shouldn’t fund union activities, here are some steps to take:
- Call your representatives in Congress and ask them to support the “Protecting Taxpayers’ Wallets Act of 2025” (H.R. 1210 in the House and S. 511 in the Senate).
- Ask candidates about their position on “official time” during upcoming elections.
With enough public pressure, we might just see an end to this wasteful practice. After all, it’s your money – shouldn’t you have a say in how it’s spent?
Read the full letter, here: Coalition Letter on the Protecting Taxpayers’ Wallets Act
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
