Van Hollen Statement on Trump Attempts to Include Misguided FBI Building Policy within Next COVID Relief Package

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement on President Trump’s attempt to include his misguided plan for an updated Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters within the next COVID-19 relief package: 

“The Congress has spent years working toward a new FBI building and campus that would meet the operational and security needs of the agency. Despite significant progress towards this goal, President Trump pulled the plug on the plan when he came into office. The Congress has received little to no rationale for the Administration’s reversal of previous plans. Nor has the Administration presented a detailed plan on how they would like to move forward. It’s outrageous that the President would now attempt to exploit the next emergency COVID-19 bill in order to build on the FBI’s current, inadequate site, near Trump Hotel. The Congress must block this blatantly self-serving ploy.” 

Senator Van Hollen has fought to relocate the FBI headquarters to a new location that meets the needs of the agency. Following the Trump Administration’s decision to halt this plan, he has repeatedly demanded that the Administration justify its decision and put forward a viable plan that meets the needs of the FBI.