Utilizing Space Efficiently and Improving Technologies Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for promoting this legislation, for carrying it through the committee.

Let me provide a little bit of background because I think there has been some confusion here.

If we look at occupancy rates of Federal buildings from pre-pandemic to current, then 54 percent of the buildings are occupied as compared to pre-pandemic.

Let me say this again. If you look at pre-pandemic occupancy and compare it to today, you have 54 percent occupancy as compared to what would have been 100 percent at the time, 100 percent of those slots filled.

What this legislation does is, it says that if leases are occupied 60 percent or less, then the government needs to give up those leases.

My friend from Washington has brought up the fact that you have folks who do telework and flexible schedules and things along those lines. There is a 40 percent cushion, number 1. Number 2, I think something that is incumbent upon folks in government that are using public money to pay for this--let me say it again: $2 billion a year to operate and maintain, $5 billion a year to pay for leases. It is incumbent upon these folks that are managing this to make sure that you are properly coordinating schedules.

If people are teleworking or have flexible schedules, that is fine. Just manage them in a way that maximizes the use of the space.

Look, this is ridiculous what is going on. It is $7 billion a year. If we went around the Congress and asked Members of Congress, do you have something in your district that needs funding and you have been unable to get funding for, every single one of us could spend $7 billion.

We have been trying to fight for a new bridge crossing the Mississippi River for years and years now. It should have been done 40 years ago.

Let's be clear: It only requires divestment or elimination of the lease if the occupancy is less than 60 percent. What private business would even do that? I think it actually should be a higher standard in an ideal situation.

As Chairman Perry said, according to a Government Accountability Office study that went through, they looked at 24 Federal agencies and 17 of the 24 only used 25 percent of the space. This is insane. There is better uses of taxpayer funds.

In closing, Madam Chair, I remind everyone here, our current government debt is approximately $34.5 trillion. Each individual taxpayer's share of that is around $257,000. I couldn't afford that. I don't think we need to be irresponsibly and recklessly spending taxpayer dollars in this environment or ever. I commend my friend from Pennsylvania for pushing this legislation, and I urge adoption.

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