Ranking Members Larsen and Titus Statements from Hearing on FBI’s Real Estate Needs
Washington, D.C.—The following are opening remarks from Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Dina Titus (D-NV) during today’s hearing titled, “From Headquarters Building to Field Offices: Examining the FBI’s Real Estate Needs and Strategy.”
Video of Larsen’s and Titus’ opening statements are here and here.
More information on the hearing can be found here.
Ranking Member Larsen:
Today’s hearing will examine the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) real estate needs.
I would like to thank the witnesses for participating in this hearing, which comes less than four months after they both testified at a hearing on the site selection process for a new FBI headquarters building.
The FBI has a broad mission and mandate. The FBI combats terrorism, espionage, cybercrime, public corruption, organized crime, white collar and violent crimes.
The FBI started to transform its field operations following the Oklahoma City bombing, and this work accelerated in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
To meet its post-9/11 mission, the FBI added more than 12,000 staff and contract personnel and formed 653 state and local task forces.
The FBI’s data collection needs expanded, and new facility security requirements were implemented.
The FBI’s current 56 multi-tenant and stand-alone facilities across commercially leased and federally owned facilities must accommodate data storage, evidence storage, firearms storage, specialty equipment and vehicle storage, command centers, SCIFs, and interview rooms—all of which require money and space.
Over the past few years, FBI facilities in Atlanta, Phoenix, Houston, Cincinnati and Seattle have been attacked. I hope the witnesses will explain how GSA and the FBI are working together to protect facilities, and the employees who work in them, from domestic terrorism.
I would also like to know the potential impact on the FBI’s staff and operational capabilities if a new headquarters building is not built soon.
The FBI has an important mission, and its employees deserve safe, secure, and functional workspaces. I look forward to discussing how this committee can help ensure the FBI has the infrastructure it needs today and into the future.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ranking Member Titus:
Thank you, Chairman Perry, for holding a hearing, once again, on the FBI’s real estate footprint.
At our last hearing on the FBI in December of 2023, this Subcommittee examined plans for a new, consolidated, suburban headquarters for the FBI.
Since that time GSA has submitted to this Committee a report on the construction of a new headquarters building. I look forward to discussing this report with our GSA witness, Mr. Elliot Doomes.
I am interested in receiving more information on GSA’s procurement strategy and funding needs, particularly on how GSA is going to provide the FBI with the secure, modern facility it needs while also ensuring the efficient use of taxpayer dollars.
I also look forward to hearing from our FBI witness, Mr. Nick Dimos, about the FBI’s broader real estate strategy.
After 9/11 the FBI’s mission expanded dramatically as 16 new FBI offices were completed, and 15 more were under contract or had been authorized by Congress.
At the time, the FBI indicated that their field office program was the largest lease-construct program in the history of the Federal Government.
Today, the FBI occupies 5 headquarters buildings, 56 field offices, and 350 resident agency offices across the country, the majority of which are under leases procured by the GSA in privately-owned buildings.
It would be helpful to know how many of the FBI leases will be expiring within the next five years, whether there are plans to consolidate and relocate offices, and how the FBI will protect its data in co-located spaces and buildings not owned by the federal government.
Finally, with these questions in mind, I would like to get a sense of whether any of the FBI field office prospectuses that have already been submitted to this Committee will need to be amended to accommodate fluctuations in the real estate market.
I want to thank our witnesses again for being here and I look forward to today’s discussion.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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