U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) kicked off their Earth Day festivities by serving as keynote speakers at the Telework Exchange Spring 2008 Town Hall Meeting in Washington D.C. on April 22.

The two legislators, co-sponsors of the Telework Improvement Act of 2007 (H.R. 4106), which is intended to allow more Federal employees to telework, paid tribute to the Earth Day mission by lauding the benefits of telework to the environmental movement, noting in particular its ability to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and traffic congestion.

Rep. Sarbanes, who spoke first so he could attend another Earth Day event, explained that he was inherently familiar with the pain of commuting, being one of the very few members of Congress who actually drives from home to Capitol Hill every day.

Still, his initial legislative interest in telework was centered more around its impact on Global Warming than its ability to reduce commuter stress, he explained. Last year, he introduced an amendment to the House Energy Bill to implement a Federal telework policy, "the idea being that it would reduce the carbon footprint of the Federal government."

Although the idea did not get picked up as an amendment to the corresponding Senate bill, Sarbanes said his interest in telework only grew as he realized the quality of life, productivity, and recruiting benefits that the work arrangement offered. For these reasons, he has been working diligently ever since to promote and champion telework. "It's win-win-win in every direction," he stated.

Rep. Davis, who chairs the House Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and District of Columbia, outlined the status of H.R. 4106, which would not only ensure that the majority of Federal employees have the opportunity to telework, but also would guarantee that agencies are incorporating telework into their Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning.

The bill, H.R. 4106, was passed in the House by voice vote on June 3, 2008, and referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on June 4, 2008.

During his speech, he applauded Federal teleworkers, telework coordinators, and industry supporters for being on the cutting edge of a movement that improves worker productivity, increases the flexibility of employees, enables better COOP planning, and decreases traffic congestion and air pollution.

Nonetheless, he noted, "Telework is not being used to the maximum extent possible," as barriers to telework, including office coverage, organizational culture, management resistance, technology security, and funding, persist.

For this reason, it was important for successful agency and subagency telework programs, such as those at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, to continue to promote their programs and serve as models, not only for other Federal agencies, but also for private sector employers.

"I'm one of those individuals who believes that you cannot lead where you don't go, that you cannot teach what you don't know," he said. "Those who have ideas…must not only believe but they must also be engaged and involved in the practice of helping others to understand. We oftentimes can do that by being as effective as we can and demonstrating (the benefits of telework) not only to ourselves but also to the rest of the world."