For Immediate Release

January 23, 2003

 

 

House T&I Democrats Applaud Choice of

DC Location for DHS HQ

 

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WASHINGTON—Senior Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today said they were very pleased that the Department of Homeland Security will locate its headquarters in Washington, DC.   As recently as two weeks ago it appeared the department was headed for suburban Virginia.

 

Tom Ridge, newly confirmed as Secretary of Homeland Security, last night announced that the new department will locate at a U.S. Navy facility in Northwest Washington.  The department had been looking at leasing property in Tysons Corner or Chantilly, Va.  On January 8, House Republicans attached a rider to the short-term funding resolution to bypass committee consideration and approve a prospectus for the department’s “temporary” location.  The prospectus called for a lease of up to 10 years at an annual cost of up to $25 million.

 

“We are very pleased with this decision,” said Rep. James L. Oberstar, Ranking Democrat on the committee.  “The Virginia locations that appeared to be the leading candidates two weeks ago were too remote, too expensive, and too exposed.”

 

“The decision to locate the Department of Homeland Security in a secure, government-owned facility is a much better use of taxpayers’ money than previously discussed options," said Costello, Ranking Democrat on the Economic Development and Public Buildings Subcommittee.  "However, the process used to arrive at this decision has been seriously flawed, and is responsible for the confusion among government and local real estate professionals, state and local officials and members of Congress.”

 

"Throughout this process, we believed that the interests of the federal government and the District of Columbia on the location of the new Department converged,” said Norton, DC’s delegate to Congress and a member of the committee.  “I am gratified that security, proximity, and cost proved decisive and that Secretary Ridge and his staff were always open to a location here in the nation’s capital."

 

The new site is closer to Capitol Hill and the White House, more convenient to public transportation, and is located in a secure, government-owned facility.

 

“This is a better choice on every level,” Oberstar said. 

 

House Democrats objected when it appeared the Virginia locations were receiving top consideration and that the site selection process would bypass Congressional scrutiny.  Oberstar, Costello and Norton held a news conference the day the House voted on the expedited prospectus language to protest the action.   Barred from attempting to amend or remove the prospectus language by a restrictive procedural rule, the House Democratic leadership called for a special panel to review the prospectus as part of its motion to recommit the funding resolution to committee.  The motion failed because of solid Republican opposition.

 

The following week, Oberstar, Costello and Norton wrote to the General Services Administration, urging it to limit to five years any lease of private office space for the department’s headquarters, and that it not exercise any option on the property without Congressional approval.

 

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                                                                                                                        Contacts:      Jim Berard  (Oberstar) 202-225-6260

                                                                                                                                                David Gillies (Costello) 202-225-5661

                                                                                                                                                Doxie McCoy (Norton) 202-225-8050