Van Hollen, Hoyer, Cardin Secure Language to Improve Equity in FBI Headquarters Site Selection Process

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and Senator Ben Cardin (all D-Md.) released the following statement regarding their efforts to secure language in the Omnibus FSGG Appropriations text to push for a more fair and transparent process for the site selection of the FBI headquarters:

“For more than a decade, we have fought to provide the FBI with a new, consolidated headquarters that meets the security and operational needs of the Bureau. As the GSA weighs the final site selection, their top priority must be to ensure a fair and transparent process in line with both congressional intent and with the administration’s commitment to addressing long-standing inequity in the siting of federal projects and agencies. This language will help us as we pursue that goal.

“Taking into account the needs of the Bureau, the cost of the sites, and the federal government’s responsibility to consider the equity impacts of agency location decisions, it’s clear that Prince George’s County is the best option for the new headquarters. We will continue pushing for a process that fairly considers and recognizes these immense benefits.”

The language secured by the lawmakers – included within the Omnibus FSGG appropriations text – is below. In addition to this language the lawmakers secured $375 million for the headquarters project in FSGG funding.

The Administrator of the General Services Administration shall select a site from one of the three listed in the General Services Administration (GSA) Fiscal Year 2017 PNCR-FBI-NCR17 prospectus for a new fully consolidated Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) headquarters.

In considering the September 2022 and amended November 2022 GSA Site Selection Plan for the FBI Suburban Headquarters, not later than 90 days after enactment, prior to any action by the GSA site selection panel for the new Federal FBI headquarters, the GSA Administrator shall conduct separate and detailed consultations with individuals representing the sites from the State of Maryland and Commonwealth of Virginia to further consider perspectives related to mission requirements, sustainable siting and equity, and evaluate the viability of the GSA's Site Selection Criteria for the FBI Headquarters to ensure it is consistent with Congressional intent as expressed in the resolution of the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate (112th Congress), adopted December 8, 2011 and further described in the General Services Administration Fiscal Year 2017 PNCR-FBI-NCR 17 prospectus.  Following those consultations, the Administrator shall proceed with the site selection process.