Federal Government Policy and Business

Frustrated senators seek path forward for new FBI headquarters

The Washington Post: At a committee hearing, senators from both parties, led by and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Sen. Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.), said the decision blindsided them, wasted millions of dollars and put the bureau’s security in jeopardy.

“The men and women of the FBI, who keep us all safe, deserve an office building that meets their needs,” Barrasso said. “The security and efficiency arguments for this are clear. What is not clear is why this project was suddenly halted, why Congress was not notified in advance and what happens now.”

For more than a decade the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been pursuing a new headquarters and in recent years has worked closely with the General Services Administration, which manages federal real estate, on a plan to trade away the J. Edgar Hoover Building to a real estate developer and put up nearly $2 billion in taxpayer funds to cover the remaining cost of building a modern site.

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