Hoyer Op-ed: Why Prince George's County is the Right Choice for the FBI
Hoyer Op-ed: Why Prince George's County is the Right Choice for the FBI
Wanted to be sure you saw this op-ed by Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) The George's Post about the General Services Administration (GSA) announcement that the new FBI headquarters will be fully consolidated and the importance of relocating the headquarters to Prince George's County is the fight choice for the FBI. Read the op-ed below:
Why Prince George's County is the Right Choice for the FBI
By Congressman Steny H. Hoyer
Recently, the goal of relocating the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters to Prince George's County moved one step closer to becoming reality. The General Services Administration (GSA) announced that the new FBI headquarters would be fully consolidated. At the federal and local level, Maryland's Congressional delegation and the Prince George's County government – "Team Maryland" – have consistently advocated to ensure that the FBI gets a fully consolidated, modern headquarters that will allow the agency to fulfill its mission of serving justice and keeping Americans safe.
Two locations – Greenbelt and Landover – in Prince George's County are on GSA's shortlist of three sites to be the home for the new consolidated headquarters. Along with the news about consolidation, GSA also announced last week that the qualified developers have been notified to compete for the headquarters.
Team Maryland has been focused on and will continued to be unified in working together at the federal, state, and local levels to bring this critical economic opportunity to Prince George's County. The new FBI headquarters would bring with it 11,000 jobs and is estimated to be a $2 billion economic development project. Many factors make Prince George's County the best location for the new headquarters.
First, Maryland is home to a number of key defense, cyber security, intelligence, and law enforcement assets located in or near the county. These include Fort Meade, home to the U.S. Cyber Command and National Security Agency; Joint Base Andrews; the National Institute of Standards and Technology; the National Cyber Security Center of Excellence; the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center; and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers.
Second, Prince George's County houses world-class educational and research institutions, such as the University of Maryland College Park, Bowie State University, and Prince George's Community College, where the FBI can benefit from cutting-edge research and a large talent pool.
Third, the County also has efficient transit connections with close access to Interstate 95, the Capital Beltway, U.S. Route 50, Joint Base Andrews, Reagan National Airport, BWI-Marshall Airport, WMATA, MARC, and Amtrak.
Finally, a quarter of the region's federal workforce resides in Prince George's County, yet the County only accounts for 4% of federal leased office space in the National Capital Region. Relocating the FBI to Prince George's County would help to alleviate regional traffic congestion and produce a more equitable allotment of federal office leasing space.
Selecting Prince George's County is the right thing to do, both for Maryland and for the FBI. It would benefit the men and women who work for the FBI and their families, and it will bring thousands of jobs to Prince George's County, spur economic development in our communities, and generate revenue the county needs to invest in creating opportunities for its people.
In the months ahead, I hope that GSA will stay aligned with its announced timeline and keep Congress up to date on any changes, should they occur. I will continue to work together with my colleagues in Congress and partners in Maryland to bring this important economic development project to Prince George's County.