NW Kentucky News

Subcommittee Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene recently addressed the Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) panel, focusing on managing the federal real estate portfolio. In her opening remarks, Greene pointed out the federal government's annual expenditure of billions to sustain outdated office buildings. She noted that federal real property management has been a high-risk area on the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) list since 2003.

According to Greene, "American taxpayers have been drowning in debt, inflation, unaffordable grocery prices, high interest rates, and have been suffering to get by, all while the federal government is pouring billions of dollars into wasteful empty office buildings." She criticized the previous administrations, highlighting the costs under the Biden Administration for unused office space due to telework policies and lavish spending on office furniture.

Greene commended the Trump Administration for taking steps to curb excessive spending. She mentioned actions such as the cancellation of nearly 700 office leases, saving taxpayers approximately $400 million. "In just the few months since Inauguration Day, DOGE and the General Services Administration have sold off several federal properties," Greene stated.

The Chairwoman referenced the decision to cancel a significant lease in a luxury building for Voice of America and the United States Agency for Global Media, noting, "Instead, the President is shutting down that whole state-run media operation."

She further emphasized GSA's intention to lead the reform by vacating and selling its headquarters. "Federal agencies shouldn’t be maintaining empires at taxpayer expense," Greene asserted. She expressed her intention to work with the Trump Administration and Congress, which recently passed a law targeting low-occupancy federal buildings, to streamline the federal real estate footprint.

Chairwoman Greene yielded to Ranking Member Stansbury for additional remarks following her opening statement.