The GAO’s findings are a call to action: it’s time to get serious about office space management, says Sen. Paul. Image: S.Borisov/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffIn a preview of one of the priorities for Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., as he takes over chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, he has highlighted underused federal office space in an annual report he issues on questionable federal spending.
The federal government last year “spent $10 billion on maintaining, leasing, and furnishing almost entirely empty buildings. As the average American taxpayers struggle to pay rent, their hard-earned dollars are ironically funneled into more real estate—Uncle Sam’s deserted buildings and storage facilities,” it says.
Citing data from the GAO, it says that “Most federal offices are ghost towns, with 17 out of 24 agencies using only 25% or less of their space in 2023. Even the busiest offices barely reach 50% capacity. This problem predates the pandemic, but COVID-19’s telework boom made it worse. These buildings were underused even before we all learned how to unmute ourselves on Zoom.”
“The GAO’s findings are a call to action: it’s time to get serious about office space management. Trimming down on unused space and not spending our hard-earned cash to furnish those empty offices could save a bundle, freeing up funds for more pressing needs— like literally anything else,” it says.
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