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June 18, 2007

Government Reports Huge Surplus of Unneeded Federal Property

Report Highlights Need for Legislative Change

A report (attached below) was released on Friday, June 15, by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) demonstrating for the first time how much unneeded property is being held by the government. When all properties eligible for disposal under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program are excluded, the government is still holding more than 21,000 properties it doesn't need, all valued at $18 billion.

The report came in response to an amendment offered by Sen. Coburn to the Federal and District of Columbia Government Real Property Act of 2006. The amendment, section 408 of the bill, required that OMB report to Congress on 1) the number of excess or surplus properties in the federal government, and 2) a list of 100 properties most eligible for sale.

A hearing of the Federal Financial Management Subcommittee on May 24 demonstrated that the process for disposing of unneeded property is hampered by burdensome rules and regulations. Many problems have arisen from the complicated requirements established by Congress, demonstrating that a legislative fix in this area is essential. In response to this problem, Sen. Coburn, along with Sen. Tom Carper, plan on introducing legislation to help eliminate this large and costly backlog.

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