March 19, 2024 – Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer: House Passes Two Bills Led by Chavez-DeRemer that Will Help Save Taxpayer Dollars, Improve Safety for Federal Workers
Today, the House passed two bills introduced and led by Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) with broad bipartisan support. The FOCUS Act, H.R. 6260, includes provisions that reform federal real estate practices to save taxpayer dollars. Separately, the Impact of Crime on Public Building Usage Act, H.R. 6261, would commission a federal study to improve safety around public office buildings.
Chavez-DeRemer spoke on the House floor in support of her two bills. A video of her remarks on the FOCUS Act is available HERE, and a video of her remarks on the Impact of Crime on Public Building Usage Act is available HERE.
“With our national debt at $34 trillion and rising, Congress must restore fiscal responsibility and find ways to eliminate wasteful and unnecessary spending. Since office space utilization has decreased dramatically across government agencies, the logical next step is to consolidate if possible and save taxpayer dollars,” Chavez-DeRemer said. “The fentanyl and homelessness crises also pose unique public safety concerns to federal workers in Portland and cities across the country. To make more informed spending decisions on federal real estate moving forward, Congress needs to understand how factors like crime contribute to building costs and employee decisions. Together, these bills will rein in spending while improving safety for our federal workforce. I’m glad they received strong bipartisan support, and I’ll continue working to get these commonsense proposals signed into law.”
The federal government owns over 500 million square feet of office space. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently reviewed 24 federal agencies and found that 17 used roughly 25 percent or less of building capacity over a three-week period. Regardless of a building’s utilization, GAO estimates that federal agencies spend roughly $2 billion annually to maintain federal office space. Reduction in office space would also result in a reduction in these costs.
Background on the FOCUS Act
The General Service Administration’s (GSA) Public Buildings Service (PBS) exists to provide safe and effective workspace for federal employees – across more than 100 federal agencies – at the best value for taxpayers.
Chavez-DeRemer’s Federal Oversight of Construction Use and Safety (FOCUS) Act would make commonsense reforms to the GSA’s real estate practices by:
- Requiring congressional notification for price escalations of five percent or more;
- Requiring reports to Congress detailing office space utilization rates, consolidations, and reasons if not consolidating;
- Requiring a report on the utilization of fitness and conference centers so these can be consolidated if necessary; and
- Encouraging federal agencies with similar missions to share information regarding space available to improve collaboration and reduce real estate costs.
Background on the Impact of Crime on Public Building Usage Act
This bill requires the GAO – an independent agency that examines how taxpayer dollars are spent to help the government save money – to study the impact of crime, including the use of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, on workers’ utilization of public buildings. It also requires the GSA to submit a report to Congress on the impacts and costs associated with building operations related to crime and public safety in and around federal buildings.
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