The local government and the incoming Republican trifecta at the federal level have a common interest in getting federal workers back into offices. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant number of federal workers have not fully returned to in-office work, which D.C. officials said has hurt the local economy.

“We strongly support return to office efforts for federal workers. Their presence is vital for D.C.’s economy and provides essential support for small businesses that have been hit hard by remote work policies. Undoubtedly, this will be a benefit to both the vibrancy of our nation’s capital and the American people as a whole,” Bowser said in her prepared testimony to the committee.

When asked by Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) if the city is prepared for a return to work, Bowser said it is, noting that public transportation would likely be the most affected by the change.

“Yes, we are ready, and in fact, we have had that conversation with Metro. I think the biggest impact would be on our public transportation system. And unlike some places, Metro has leaned into frequency, leaned into more and optimized bus routes so that we are prepared to carry our workers, visitors, and residents,” Bowser said Tuesday.

The D.C. Metro has gradually improved frequency and service for its trains and buses since the end of the pandemic, with the transit agency getting permission from its safety watchdog to begin to use its automated train system at faster speeds for the first time since 2009 on Tuesday. The use of the automated train system is expected to increase efficiency and service, along with cost savings for the transit agency.

D.C. local government officials are required to work in the office four days a week, while some Republican politicians have pushed for federal workers to return full-time as several federal buildings are left largely vacant. The city has expressed an interest in converting unused buildings into mixed-use developments but has also pushed for workers to return to help with the local economy.

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Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), a leading Senate supporter of the incoming Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, released a report last week about federal employees’ use of remote working as the pandemic creeps further into the past.

“Bureaucrats have been found in a bubble bath, on the golf course, running their own business, and even getting busted doing crime while on taxpayers’ time,” the report said, while also accusing many federal bureaucrats of “phoning it in.”