Bacha For Congress issued the following announcement on April 6.
Eliminate Agency Excess Space Act would make it easier for government departments to sell their vacant buildings and offices
The federal government has increasingly come to occupy buildings through leases, rather than through outright purchases or new construction. As a result of these often-temporary measures, in fiscal year 2016, federal agencies owned 3,120 vacant buildings, plus another 7,859 buildings that were partially empty.
(Here’s a list of currently available vacant federal buildings.)
So how does an agency get someone else into that building? It’s not so easy. First, they must offer it to other federal agencies. If none take up the offer, then the building must be offered for homeless shelter providers, per the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 2000. If none take up that offer, the building is screened for other potential public uses, such as public parks. If none apply, then the building is put up for auction.
“That process is upside down,” the advocacy group Citizens Against Government Waste argues. “The government should first try to sell the property and give it away only if there is no other alternative.”
What the bill does
The Eliminate Agency Excess Space Act would eliminate most of these requirements, allowing most vacant government buildings to go directly to sale. The bill specifies that any such money collected as a result be “dedicated to the sole purpose of deficit reduction.”
It was introduced in the House on March 9 as bill number H.R. 6128, by Rep. Gregory Murphy (R-NC3).
What supporters say
Supporters argue the legislation would save taxpayers money and speed up the process of getting these vacant or nearly-vacant properties filled again.
“A lot of us came to Congress looking to tackle America’s $23 trillion debt crisis, and this piece of legislation would help do just that,” Rep. Murphy said in a press release. “By simply allowing federal agencies to more efficiently put unneeded office space on the market, we can save the taxpayer a whopping $15 billion over five years.”
(That estimate comes from a 2019 report by the conservative group Citizens Against Government Waste.)
What opponents say
Opponents counter that the status quo ensures vacant federal buildings aren’t all turned into shopping malls.
The General Services Administration (GSA) lists the benefits of the existing potential stakeholders who must be offered vacant federal buildings before they go on sale. “These properties can provide a lasting positive impact on their communities as parks, schools, community centers and more,” the GSA says.
The homeless shelter and nonprofit organization provision “has created some 500 emergency shelters, transitional housing facilities, nonprofit offices, and other spaces using about 900 acres of federal land across 30 states and D.C.,” CityLab writes.
Odds of passage
The bill has attracted 24 cosponsors, all Republicans. It awaits a potential vote in the House Oversight and Reform Committee. Odds of passage are low in the Democratic-controlled chamber.
This article was written by GovTrack Insider staff writer Jesse Rifkin.
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