Jennifer Oliver O’Connell writes for RedState.com about a significant money-saving decision within the federal government.
On Friday, FBI Director Kash Patel took to X to announce the official shuttering of the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Headquarters building. Patel first made this announcement in May during an interview on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures program with Maria Bartiromo. Since Congress holds the power of the purse to designate what happens with federal buildings, Patel cleared the proper channels in order to finally execute his plan.
“After more than 20 years of failed attempts, we finalized a plan to permanently close the FBI’s Hoover headquarters and move the workforce into a safe, modern facility. Working directly with President Trump and Congress, we accomplished what no one else could. …
… “When we arrived, taxpayers were about to be on the hook for nearly $5 billion for a new headquarters that wouldn’t open until 2035. We scrapped that plan. Instead, we selected the already-existing Reagan Building, saving billions and allowing the transition to begin immediately with required safety and infrastructure upgrades already underway. Once complete, most of the HQ FBI workforce will move in, and the rest are continuing in our ongoing push to put more manpower in the field, where they will remain.
“This decision puts resources where they belong: defending the homeland, crushing violent crime, and protecting national security. It delivers better tools for today’s FBI workforce at a fraction of the cost.
“The Hoover Building will be shut down permanently.”
The Hoover Building has been a money-suck since its inception. Original construction was planned to be set in 1963 for an estimated $60 million. The construction wasn’t completed until over 10 years later, to the tune of $126 million. The closure of this headquarters fulfills Patel’s promise of a new FBI that would be transparent, accountable, and focus on letting cops be cops. With a more streamlined D.C. workforce, this means that along with agents being launched back into field work, state and regional headquarters will now be more fully staffed.
