Sale of Webster School
Floor Speech
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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, this bill, which I introduced with the Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee Chair, Scott Perry, would direct the General Services Administration to sell the Federal property known as the Daniel Webster School in the District of Columbia for fair market value by December 31st, 2025.
Built in 1882, the Daniel Webster School, a red brick, three-story building has been used for a variety of purposes over the years, however, since the 1980s, the building which is located in downtown D.C. has been vacant and has fallen into disrepair.
The General Services Administration purchased the Webster School 20 years ago, yet the school remains unoccupied, draining the General Service Administration's resources for decades. This bill would return the site to productive use.
During my service in Congress, I have enacted bipartisan bills to transfer unused and underused Federal land in D.C. to the D.C. government or the private sector to redevelop neighborhoods and to generate tax revenue.
This includes the southeast and southwest waterfronts. My hope is to see the Daniel Webster School similarly reactivated. The sale provision in this bill is the same as the sale provision in the bill enacted in 2016 that directed the General Services Administration to sell the general property in D.C. known as the Cotton Annex, which is now being converted into housing.
Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Perry for his partnership on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KEAN of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. KEAN of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, in closing, this bill is a small, but necessary step in the rightsizing of the Federal real estate portfolio.
The Federal real estate portfolio has far too much empty space as it is, and we should not hold onto known empty buildings at the taxpayers' expense.
Madam Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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