Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, on Thursday introduced legislation to fast-track the sale of vacant federal buildings that she said cost taxpayers billions of dollars.
“Despite President Trump calling federal employees back to work, vacant government buildings could easily be mistaken as future locations for Spirit Halloween stores,” Ernst said in a press release, referring to the seasonal Halloween store.
“For too long, the entrenched bureaucracy has used red tape to prevent these ghost towns from being sold off.
“My DISPOSAL Act immediately lists six prime pieces of D.C. real estate on the auction block and slashes through pointless regulations to fast-track the sale of the government’s graveyard of lifeless real estate to generate hundreds of millions of dollars and save taxpayers billions.”
The Disposing of Inactive Structures and Properties by Offering for Sale and Lease Act “immediately lists six prime pieces of D.C. real estate on the auction block and slashes through pointless regulations to fast-track the sale of the government’s graveyard of lifeless real estate to generate hundreds of millions of dollars and save taxpayers billions,” according to the release:
1. The Department of Labor’s Frances Perkins Federal Building
2. The Department of Energy’s James V. Forrestal Building
3. The Office of Personnel Management’s Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building
4. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Robert C. Weaver Federal Building
5. The Department of Agriculture’s South Building
6. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Hubert H. Humphrey Federal Building
Eliminating excess federal office space has been a top priority of the Trump administration.
In March, General Services Administration regional managers were ordered to begin terminating leases on about 7,500 federal offices nationwide, with a target of ending up to 300 leases per day, according to an employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.
Ernst’s press release said there were an estimated 7,700 vacant federal buildings nationwide and nearly 2,300 more that are mostly empty.
“Every year, Washington pays out over $81 million maintaining underutilized offices and a General Services Administration (GSA) report in May 2025 said that deferred maintenance exceeds $6 billion and will grow to $20 billion in five years,” her report stated.
“The condition of many of these buildings is highly concerning. One is described as a ‘roach-infested mold dungeon.’ Bugs were crawling out of faucets and creeping across the floor at another. Others are literal death traps. The drinking water in many buildings is a deadly potion of toxic metals and biohazards,” it added.
Newsmax wires contributed to this report.
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