Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)
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“Before I talk about when I got into this issue, I want to talk about the fact that we need to open up the federal government for the people of the United States. The problem is, Democrats are negotiating with a group that does not want the government open. Just as Elon Musk – with his chainsaw – wanted to fire everybody. Russell Vought, who is essentially the CFO of our country – he’s called the OMB Director, but he’s the Chief Financial Officer. He has said he wants the federal employees perceived as the villains. He wants the federal employees to be perceived so badly that when they wake up in the morning, they don’t want to come to work. You know, it is illegal in America to create a hostile workplace. Anthony, I’m pursuing with some folks the possibility of suing Russell Vought – probably can’t sue the president, but Russell Vought for creating consciously, intently, and with vengeful objectives the creation of a hostile workforce in the federal government.
“Now, what we are going to create here in Greenbelt, in Prince George’s County, in the state of Maryland, is a safe workforce. A strategically housed workforce. A workforce that is consistent with the request that was made of me. In 2009, I was the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, and the director of the FBI came to my office, and he sat down and said, ‘Steny, this building in which we are housed is unsafe.’ 2009, this is 15 years later – 16 to be exact. The building was unsafe. There is not a Democrat or Republican who has visited that building, including Kash Patel, who doesn’t say, ‘It is an unsafe environment for our employees.’ Or one could say a hostile environment. And Mr. Mueller said to me in 2009, ‘We need a space, somewhat like the CIA or NSA, that is a large enough space so that we can insulate ourselves and from terrorists, from people who would blow us up.’ And so they wanted a campus setting with at least a 150 foot setback. I don’t know how many of you have gone by the Reagan building, 15 feet or so? A little short. And so I said, ‘Mr. Director, I agree with you,’ and we started this saga of transparency, honesty, of consideration, of all the factors that would make our FBI the place where people can work in security and be the most effective for the American people in keeping the peace and keeping law and order. And we worked hard on that from 2009 to 2016. And we were getting close. (makes pinching hand gesture) That close. We were almost there to get it done, and Donald Trump intervened. Donald Trump intervened – and by the way, we’re going to have to clear that site where it’s located now on Pennsylvania Avenue. And by the way, right across the street was a hotel. Who was the proprietor of that hotel? Donald Trump.
“And so he canceled it. He didn’t decide, ‘We’re going to put it somewhere else.’ He didn’t decide [that] we need to tear down this building, because it is unsafe, Governor, for the people who work there. He simply canceled it, and so nothing was done for the next four years of a building that all Republicans and all Democrats who have been through it, say is unsafe and unworthy, and the directors will say [it] is unsuited to the way they do law enforcement today. So, we had another fight we started in ‘21, in ‘22 and ‘23. And because of the transparency they talked about, but mostly because of the suitability of the site to meet the needs and requests of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. That is why ultimately Greenbelt was [selected]. Not for political reasons, but for suitability to the task that we have assigned to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. And now we’re in a fight because the president, not related to any specific criteria or strategic or decision making, but related more to his political bias. Hear me. His political bias. Now he’s decided to move it to a building totally unsuited, unplanned for, undesigned for the purposes of a major law enforcement agency.
“So, we’re going to win this suit, and we’re going to win this battle. That is why – and a lot of people were really invested in this decision – that is why ultimately the GSA decided [that] this is the place, the best place from a cost standpoint, from a strategic standpoint, from a community standpoint where the Prince George’s community was a welcoming community – Mr. Mayor, I thank you and Greenbelt for their efforts. I want to mention [former] County Executive Alsobrooks, and I want to mention Larry Hogan, the governor. The governor said to all of his Republican colleagues, some of which he’s friendly with, some not, ‘This is the best site for the FBI.’ This was a bipartisan decision going forward, that has been turned into a petty, inappropriate small board decision for punitive purposes, not just against Prince George’s County, but against the FBI, against the FBI.
“So, I am hopeful that this suit will prevail. I believe it will prevail. The Congress has decided, but you remember I mentioned this guy, Russell Vought. Russell Vought believes that the passing of laws by the Congress is a suggestion to the Executive Department, and if they want to follow that, they can and if they don’t, they won’t because he believes that Article II of the Constitution of the United States gives the president plenary power. That is, of course, untrue, and the Supreme Court has held it to be untrue. So, I want to thank the Attorney General. I want to thank Ben Cardin. I want to thank Ben Cardin, who was our senior United States Senator. I want to thank Angela [Alsobrooks], who fought so hard and worked with Hogan in getting the state to make a commitment on this.
“We have stepped up to the plate. We are ready. We are the place it ought to be and for every valid reason, ultimately, I believe the Congress and even the Executive Department will decide [that] Greenbelt is the site where the Federal Bureau of Investigation ought to be placed, and we ought to do it sooner rather than later. Now, let me also lastly, thank the person whose district the FBI is in. And that is Glenn Ivey. (applause) It was my district, it was Anthony’s district, it’s been all over. So, we have an interest in this because we have studied this issue from 2009 to date, and it is absolutely the right decision the Congress has made: put it in Greenbelt and do it now.”