House GOP floats blocking FBI's new HQ
House Republicans have privately discussed blocking a new FBI headquarters by hitting the project’s funding — a potential escalation in the party’s increasingly antagonistic relationship with the bureau.
It's far from clear that such a move would unite House Republicans, much less pass muster with the Senate or White House. But as Republicans increasingly view the FBI with suspicion over investigations into Donald Trump and other political issues — and look for ways to cut spending — the party's appropriators are under pressure to use spending bills to place new limits on the bureau, with the new headquarters being an early target.
Three Republicans tasked with writing the funding bills acknowledged it has come up in conversations, though they stressed that talks were still in early stages. GOP members are also well aware it could put them in the middle of a heated FBI HQ standoff between Maryland and Virginia, the contenders for the location of the new building that was an 11th-hour hold up to a mammoth funding deal just months ago.
“The FBI right now has some serious, serious issues that need to be addressed. … The whole discussion about a new headquarters should be put off to another time and place," said Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas), a member of the Appropriations Committee, characterizing himself as “very much” interested in using the government funding bills to block a new headquarters.
One of those GOP appropriators, who requested anonymity to speak frankly, confirmed “there is an interest” among Republicans on the Appropriations Committee to block the new FBI site. The lawmaker added the idea of clawing back previously allocated funding is a harder lift but has also “entered the conversation."
“I think it’s a little more challenging to claw back money that’s been assigned in previous years,” the lawmaker added. Another GOP appropriator confirmed that there has "been some discussion" about funding for the FBI headquarters and potentially targeting already allocated funding but cautioned that it was "premature."
Even if Republicans aren’t able to formally rescind money previously greenlit for the FBI project, supporters of blocking the new building believe they could still do so because the headquarters needs billions in additional funding.
The administration has requested $233 million as part of its fiscal 2024 budget for the project, noting it would total $3.5 billion over 15 years. The Justice Department has argued the current building “can no longer support the long-term mission of the FBI.”
The full House Appropriations Committee hasn’t yet started debating and voting on its bills, where some of the FBI debate could play out. And the two subpanels with jurisdiction over the issue also haven’t had votes on their respective pieces.
“I’ve always kind of approached it as, well, people with a lot more information and a lot more knowledge of the process than I have made the decision a long time ago that there was going to be a relocation of the FBI,” said Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), while declining to “get into the debate right now about the effort to replace the FBI headquarters.”
Womack — who oversees one of the two appropriations panels with jurisdiction over the issue — added that whether the “collective appropriations process” will approve funds for a new FBI headquarters is a “TBD question.” But he added that the idea of clawing back previous funding is probably "a stretch,” given the political reality of divided government.
A spokesperson for Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), who oversees the other House subcommittee with jurisdiction, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Blocking the FBI from building a new headquarters is also guaranteed to spark pushback from the Maryland and Virginia delegations, who have engaged in public campaign efforts and quiet lobbying to try to get their respective states selected.
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), another appropriator, argued an attempt to hold the FBI “hostage” would put “our national security at risk.”
“This blatant hypocrisy is yet another example of congressional Republicans’ choice to prioritize their own political agenda over the security of all American people. Our federal law enforcement agents deserve the resources they need to do their jobs and keep our communities safe — regardless of who controls Congress,” Hoyer added.
