FBI Director Kash Patel has announced plans to relocate 1,500 employees from the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., due to safety concerns. Lawmakers in Maryland support the move, designating Greenbelt as the new site for the headquarters. The decision aims to position agents closer to areas with higher crime rates.
Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Victor Davis Hanson said, “I don’t know if they’re going to make the headquarters there or not. They were going to make it in Virginia, but I think they’re going to disperse FBI agents to where crimes are committed.”
Hanson added, “I know that Washington is a dangerous city, but you don’t need 15,000 or 12,000 FBI agents in Washington.”
Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) noted that Greenbelt is ready for development and provides the fastest path to a new headquarters. He claimed that the resources are in place to facilitate a swift transition.
Ivey said, “They need a new headquarters. Greenbelt has already been selected — we’re the fastest track to get something done, we’ve got a site that’s ready to go, we’ve got funding set aside to do it.”
Ivey added, “I agree with him about getting out of the D.C. location. Come out here, we can make it happen faster than any place else in the country.”
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser defended the existing headquarters, arguing that it ensures safety in the capital. She asserted that the District offers modern facilities to meet the FBI’s operational needs and is prepared to assist in securing both temporary and permanent locations.
Bowser wrote, “The District and our region have many sites where the FBI can fulfill their mission in safe, modern, and secure facilities, and we are ready to help them find both temporary leases and a permanent home.”
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) mentioned that over 900 of the involved positions are vacant, minimizing the immediate impact on operations. He added that Congress must approve the transfer of approximately 500 active positions.
Van Hollen said, “Over 900 of those are vacant positions, where they’re going to be moving those positions to other offices around the country, including, for example, 40 additional FBI officers in Baltimore. So, that is not an issue.”
Van Hollen added, “With respect to the other maybe 500, that will require congressional notification and ultimately Congress, if we’re together, can decide to approve or not approve.”
