Virginia Lawmakers to GSA: Northern Virginia an Ideal Location for New FBI Headquarters

Washington, DC – Today, Virginia Representatives Jim Moran (VA-08), Frank Wolf (VA-10), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), and Rob Wittman (VA-01) and Senators Jim Webb and Mark R. Warner sent a letter to the administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) urging consideration of Northern Virginia for the new FBI Headquarters location. Their letter follows GSA’s Request for Information seeking input on a location for a consolidated FBI Headquarters in the National Capital Region.

In their letter, the lawmakers requested that GSA undertake a qualitative “source selection” procurement, rather than cost-only process, noting that Northern Virginia is already home to a majority of FBI employees as well as the FBI’s major training academy at Quantico.

Excerpts from the letter:

“We…strongly support providing the FBI with a secure headquarters location that meets the needs of its workforce, allowing them to more effectively carry out their vital law enforcement responsibilities.”

“As you begin this process, we encourage GSA to keep in mind factors that we believe make a location in Northern Virginia a logical and appropriate choice. Northern Virginia is home to a significant majority of the FBI workforce that will be directly impacted by this decision.  Clearly, a location in Northern Virginia would minimize adverse effects on these employees.”

“We trust that GSA will conduct this highly anticipated and scrutinized procurement in a fair and open process, and we stand ready to assist with any additional information in support of the selection of a site in Northern Virginia.”

Full text of the letter below:

December 5, 2012

Mr. Daniel M. Tangherlini
Acting Administrator
General Services Administration
1800 F. Street, NW
Room 6137
Washington, DC 20405

Dear Acting Administrator Tangherlini:

We write to you concerning the private sector lease transaction for a consolidated headquarters facility for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  As the General Services Administration begins this process, we urge you to consider Northern Virginia as the ideal location for the new FBI Headquarters.

As you know, the FBI’s mission and workforce have expanded in recent years, causing it to outgrow its aging headquarters building currently located in Washington, D.C.  According to a November 2011, GAO report, “the FBI’s headquarters facilities—the Hoover Building and the headquarters annexes—do not fully support the FBI’s long-term security, space, and building condition requirements.”  We agree with this assessment and strongly support providing the FBI with a secure headquarters location that meets the needs of its workforce, allowing them to more effectively carry out their vital law enforcement responsibilities.

We know GSA recently issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking developer input on locations and ideas for how to build a new FBI headquarters in the National Capital Region (NCR).  Given the significance of this decision, we support a “source selection” procurement that gives appropriate weight to qualitative factors other than simply cost.

As you begin this process, we encourage GSA to keep in mind factors that we believe make a location in Northern Virginia a logical and appropriate choice.  Already, the FBI has a major training academy located on a 385-acre complex in Quantico, Virginia, making a headquarters location in Northern Virginia particularly convenient for intra-agency activities.  In addition, Northern Virginia is home to a significant majority of the FBI workforce that will be directly impacted by this decision.  Clearly, a location in Northern Virginia would minimize adverse effects on these employees.

We understand an RFI is only the first step in a progression of decisions that will include significant involvement by Congress. We trust that GSA will conduct this highly anticipated and scrutinized procurement in a fair and open process, and we stand ready to assist with any additional information in support of the selection of a site in Northern Virginia.

                                                            Sincerely,

Rep. Jim Moran                                                           
Rep. Frank Wolf
Rep. Gerry Connolly                                                  
Rep. Rob Wittman
Sen. Jim Webb
Sen. Mark Warner                                                       
 

###