As the congressional GOP continues to investigate allegations of corruption and political bias at the FBI, one of the top committee chairmen looking into the matter has suggested that moving the bureau’s headquarters out of D.C. could begin to solve the corruption problem.
As reported by Just The News, Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, made the suggestion in a letter on Tuesday as the FBI is already attempting to move from its current D.C. headquarters in the J. Edgar Hoover building and into the suburbs surrounding D.C. In his letter to the House Appropriations Committee, Jordan mentioned that there are already existing facilities in Huntsville, Alabama that could make for a suitable new headquarters.
“The Committee remains concerned about the politicization of federal law enforcement power emanating from FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.,” Jordan wrote. “The centralization of FBI operations in the National Capitol Region has led to duplication of activity best left to the respective field offices, contributed to reduced autonomy in local field offices, and allowed improper political influence to taint law enforcement investigations and activity.”
Jordan laid out certain details that could be proposed for the 2024 appropriations bill that would address this matter.
“None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to build a new FBI headquarters,” he continued. “In addition, the FBI is directed to submit an operational plan within 90 days to move the FBI Headquarters out of the National Capital Region. The operational plan should also consider the existing resources and infrastructure available at the FBI’s Redstone Arsenal Campus in Huntsville, AL.”
Specifically, Jordan pointed to the Redstone Arsenal facility in Huntsville, which has been in operation “for more than 50 years,” according to the official FBI website. There are currently “over one thousand employees” who “work there in various operational and enterprise capacities.”
The FBI is demanding at least $2 billion to build the proposed new headquarters in the neighboring DC suburbs, with the plans for the new building showing that it would be at least twice as large as the Pentagon.