House Republicans are hopping mad as the FBI is poised to reel in another $200 million toward the building of its extravagant new headquarters in Greenbelt, Maryland. This allocation is part of the most recent omnibus spending bill.
GOP lawmakers soured on the agency when it became obvious that its enormous power was utilized against conservative groups such as anti-abortion advocates and others.
Funding for new FBI headquarters riles some Republicans https://t.co/TcmJMlFlWd
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) March 25, 2024
Many believe the FBI is now weaponized by the Biden administration to carry out policies that have not passed congressional muster. Seeing hundreds of millions poured into the new facility only fueled more frustrations for Republicans.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) posted on X, formerly Twitter, his astonishment at the $200 million dedicated to the controversial agency. “So much for those ‘cuts’ to [the] FBI,” he wrote.
The “sellouts and failures” list compiled by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) included the allocation for the new FBI facility.
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) was even more blunt. “The FBI labels parents as domestic terrorists, targets pro-lifers and wages war against conservative Americans. Their punishment? $200 million for a new headquarters.”
The Republican added, “Vote NO.”
Congress last year approved $375 million toward replacing the venerable J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington D.C. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) attempted to attach an amendment to erase the funding, but it did not pass.
Democrats celebrated the $200 million earmarked for the FBI. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) called it an “important and urgent project.”
Along with political implications, many see the site selection process as another example of wasteful bureaucracy.
Rep. Sam Perry (R-PA) chaired the subcommittee hearing into the FBI site selection. He noted the inefficiency in the process which led to the choice of Greenbelt by the General Services Administration.
This despite the fact that the Maryland location is partially owned by the former employer of the woman who made the final site decision. Critics, including FBI Director Christopher Wray, pointed to the obvious possibility of a conflict of interest.
This ultimately did not deter the GSA, which chose the site despite the unanimous choice of an alternative Virginia location by the site selection panel.
