WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), secured a commitment from the leadership of the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to return to Congress within 120 days with a plan for the FBI headquarters. Barrasso was speaking at a full committee hearing on “FBI Headquarters Consolidation Project - What Happened and What's Next."
The hearing featured testimony from Michael Gelber, acting commissioner of the Public Building Service at the General Services Administration; Richard Haley, assistant director and chief financial officer of the Finance Division at the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and David Wise, director of the Physical Infrastructure Team at the Government Accountability Office.
Both Gelber and Haley committed to return to Congress with a workable solution within the next 120 days.
Senator Barrasso's remarks:
“Before we wrap up the hearing, I would like to make a few observations --
“It is clear from today's testimony that: the FBI needs a new headquarters; fixing up the Hoover building with its $100 million backlog of maintenance needs makes little sense;
“The elaborate plan to swap the Hoover building for a new headquarters facility was, in hindsight, not the best option;
“We need a new, cost-effective and achievable plan to get the FBI into a new headquarters facility.
“So I would like to ask our witnesses one last question.
“Will you commit to providing Congress a workable solution to FBI's headquarter needs within 120 days?
“Expect this committee to hold another hearing on this subject before the end of the year."
