House Republicans blasted provisions in a $1.2 trillion federal funding package passed Friday that would fund a new FBI headquarters in Maryland.
Hidden in the 1,012-page bill is a line that would allocate $200 million to the General Services Administration to build a new FBI headquarters in Greenbelt, Maryland. The new funding infuriated some House Republicans, accusing the agency of political bias.
“The $1.2 trillion, 1,000-page swamp bus released in the middle of the night includes $200 million to build a new FBI headquarters. That’s the only ‘cut’ to the FBI.” Chip Roy Congressman (R-Texas) posted on X.
The FBI funding was included in a list of “sells and misses” included in the spending package posted by Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania).
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Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) criticized a provision in the $1.2 trillion federal funding package that would provide $200 million for a new FBI headquarters in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Republicans have a long list of complaints against the FBI, including an investigation into former President Trump, an anti-Catholic memo that identified traditional Catholics as potential “terrorists,” and efforts to flag so-called misinformation on social media during the pandemic. I am holding.
The FBI disputes the Republican claims and maintains that its law enforcement operations are not influenced by politics. But the station’s denials did not calm critics.
“The FBI is labeling parents domestic terrorists, targeting pro-lifers, and waging war against conservative Americans. Their punishment? 2 to build a new headquarters in this ‘minibus'” Billion dollars,” said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Missouri. “Please vote no.”
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The J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building, home of FBI headquarters, photographed on June 9, 2023 in Washington. The building is in disrepair, and several lawmakers say the FBI needs money to build a new headquarters. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
In November, the Biden administration announced the Greenbelt on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., as the site for a new FBI facility to replace the crumbling J. Edgar Hoover Building a few blocks from the White House.
GSA, which manages the government’s real estate portfolio, said the greenbelt site, about 13 miles northeast of Washington, has the best access to public transportation and is the cheapest location.
Lawmakers last year approved $375 million for the headquarters project in a government funding bill. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) had introduced an amendment to strip the funding from the 2023 bill, but it failed.
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FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on December 5, 2023, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP/Susan Walsh)
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, welcomed the additional $200 million to the FBI in a statement Thursday, saying new buildings in Prince George’s County are one of his “top priorities.” Ta.
Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Van Hollen said in a statement to the roll call that “this funding that I have worked to secure in the FSGG appropriations bill will help us move forward with construction of our new Greenbelt headquarters. “This is another important step.”
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Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, added, “We are ready to welcome the FBI to our new joint headquarters in Maryland.” “This funding adds more than $1.5 billion already available for this important and urgent project,” he told roll call.
Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
