Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free
Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world
The Trump administration is considering selling the Washington headquarters of the FBI and the Department of Justice as it presses ahead with its aggressive government cost-cutting agenda.
The General Services Administration, which manages US federal buildings, on Tuesday published a list of more than 440 properties it deemed “not core to government operations”.
In addition to the FBI and DoJ buildings, those of the departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Energy, Labor, Housing and Urban Development were also on the list.
“GSA will consider non-core assets for divestment from government ownership in an orderly fashion to ensure taxpayers no longer pay for empty and underutilised federal office space,” the agency said.
It added the “non-core assets” cost more than $430mn a year to operate, adding that disposing of them could bring in more than $8bn.
“GSA is committed to being a smart steward of taxpayer dollars by cutting unneeded space and reducing costs,” GSA said, adding that the list was “subject to change”.
The GSA oversees nearly 370mn sq feet of real estate, having sold more than 12mn sq feet over the past decade. The Biden administration announced in its final days that it aimed to reduce its portfolio by an additional 3.5mn sq feet, saving taxpayers more than $1bn.
The GSA’s announcement on Tuesday to cut more than 80mn square feet aligns with Elon Musk’s much more aggressive cost-cutting efforts.
The so-called Department of Government Efficiency, of which the billionaire is the de facto leader, claims it has terminated hundreds of leases across the US, saving taxpayers up to $660mn a year.
The legality of some of the terminations has been challenged.
Musk has long railed against the lack of office attendance by federal workers, claiming that many buildings are mostly empty because of remote working. President Donald Trump issued an executive order soon after his inauguration mandating government that workers return to office full-time.
Despite Doge’s recent cancellations, Musk last week posted that there were “still *way* too many leases on unused buildings”.
On Monday, GSA rolled out a scheme designed to match federal workers with unused office space in government buildings, in an effort to better use partially vacant properties.
The FBI and justice department did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
Additional reporting by Stefania Palma
Read the full article here
