Ernst Proposes Sale of Unused Federal Buildings
Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa has put forward a new bill aimed at allowing officials from the Trump administration to sell off vacant federal buildings. Ernst highlighted this initiative on Thursday, mentioning that, despite calls for federal employees to return to their jobs, these empty structures could easily be mistaken for future locations for seasonal stores.
“For a long time, bureaucratic hurdles have prevented the sale of these ghost towns,” she remarked. Ernst’s legislation, designed to simplify the process, would put six key properties in Washington, D.C., up for auction, while cutting through unnecessary regulations to transform them from unused spaces into potentially revenue-generating assets.
As the founder of the Senate Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus, Ernst has long pointed out the federal government’s failure to effectively utilize its buildings. Back in 2023, she criticized various agencies that had become largely inactive during pandemic-driven work-from-home measures.
Taxpayer Impact and Government Oversight
Ernst’s legislation, aptly titled the Disposal of Unoccupied Structures and Assets by Sale and Offer for Lease Act, targets six underused federal properties including the Francis Perkins Federal Building, the James V. Forrestal Building, and others. There are reports stating that there are about 7,700 federal buildings across the country, with over 2,200 of them significantly underutilized.
In 2023, the Office of Management and Budget estimated that maintaining underutilized federal buildings cost around $81 million annually, while a backlog for necessary repairs exceeded $6 billion. This figure is projected to skyrocket to over $20 billion in five years if nothing changes. Recent media have also uncovered issues like mold and undrinkable water in some federal buildings.
If passed, Ernst’s bill could allow for future property sales, aiming to facilitate the sale of up to 20 federal buildings each year. The bill would empower the General Services Administration to determine the best course of action for these properties, whether that be selling or leasing them.
Throughout his second term, President Trump’s efforts to downsize the federal government and cut unnecessary spending have been a focal point. He has been particularly vocal about the need for accountability, calling out employees who have not returned to work since the pandemic started.
Recently, Fox News highlighted conditions at the Housing and Urban Development headquarters, likening it to a temporary store during off-peak seasons due to its low occupancy. Ernst’s latest initiative follows an earlier proposal to sell six federal properties that could potentially raise $400 million while eliminating substantial deferred maintenance costs.
