Senator Mark Warner is demanding a full cost-benefit analysis of the federal government’s decision to relocate the Department of Housing and Urban Development to Alexandria, expressing skepticism about claimed taxpayer savings and concern for displaced National Science Foundation employees.
The Virginia Democrat, speaking during a media availability Thursday (June 26), said he has not seen any cost evaluation for the move that will displace approximately 1,800 NSF employees from their headquarters at 2415 Eisenhower Ave.
“We will obviously demand a full accounting, and I am not aware, I have not seen any cost evaluation yet,” Warner said while responding to questions asked by ALXnow. “You gotta factor in the costs of moving NSF, and where are they going to locate?”
Warner serves on both the Senate Finance and Budget committees, positions he indicated he would use to demand transparency from the General Services Administration about the total costs of the relocation.
The senator acknowledged that HUD’s current headquarters in Washington needed attention, calling the building “dismal” and noting it required complete renovation. He referenced that even the Obama administration had suggested potentially selling the facility and relocating elsewhere in the region.
“I got no qualms about the fact that the HUD headquarters was dangerous, out of date, and an awful place to work,” Warner said. “But I’d love to see the analysis of what they’re going to do with the HUD facility, headquarters building, and as you rightfully point out, what is going to happen to the NSF.”
Warner expressed particular concern about the impact on NSF employees, criticizing the administration’s handling of the announcement and its broader approach to federal workforce management.
“The idea that how do I locate someplace else? That makes some sense to me. And the fact that Virginia was chosen I’m happy about,” Warner said. “But I also want to make sure that we maintain the 1200 plus jobs at the National Science Foundation.”
The senator emphasized NSF’s critical role in national security and scientific advancement, noting the foundation funds research across the country that is embedded in local economies.
“The work NSF does is critical to the advancement of science. It’s critical to our national security because the advanced research is in terms of technology, competition with China,” Warner said.
Warner criticized the administration’s approach to informing NSF employees about the relocation, calling it part of a broader pattern of workforce management issues.
“To kind of drop this on the employees of the NSF, we’re without any forewarning or indication of where they’re headed is the kind of effort that a lot of this goes back I think to frankly the director of OMB who again is so far beyond his capabilities,” Warner said, referring to Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought.
The senator suggested the move was designed to “traumatize the federal workforce,” pointing to what he described as an anti-science bias within the administration.
“If you work at NSF and you’re suddenly told you’re going to have to move, but we’re not going to tell you we don’t know where you’re going to move with an administration that’s already got an anti science bomb bias, you’re seeing this traumatization of our workforce play out in front of us,” Warner said.
Warner drew parallels to previous federal agency relocations during the first Trump administration, citing moves that he said were made “for purely political show” and resulted in workforce departures and decreased quality of work.
“When we’ve seen particularly the first Trump administration where there were movements made for purely political show and it was a part of the AG department, I believe it was some did some statistics that was moved out to Kansas for I’m not sure any other reason other than the poke of the DMV,” Warner said.
He noted that such moves often result in significant personnel losses that ultimately cost taxpayers money rather than saving it.
“The number of people that quit, the quality of work that came out was ended up costing the taxpayer money,” Warner said.
When asked specifically about GSA providing a transparent accounting of total costs before the plan proceeds further, Warner committed to using his committee positions to demand such information.
“I will acknowledge that the HUD headquarters is dismal. It needed to be completely renovated,” Warner said. “But I’d love to see the analysis of what they’re going to do with the HUD facility, headquarters building.”
The senator also criticized broader administration efforts to reduce oversight capabilities, noting attempts to cut the Government Accountability Office, which conducts independent analysis of federal spending and operations.
“One of the things the administration is doing as well they are so trying to cut GAO. GAO is the General Accounting Office. This is the independent entity that does some of these analyses. They are trying to cut it literally in half,” Warner said.
Warner suggested this represented a pattern of avoiding transparency and accountability.
“So it’s one more example of the fact that the last thing this administration wants is sunlight, transparency, or actually dealing in a factual world,” Warner said.
The senator indicated he would continue pressing for answers about both the costs of the move and the future location of NSF, expressing hope that the science foundation would remain in Virginia.
“I will feel a hell of a lot better once I know where the NSF employers are going and they need to have been involved in this discussion,” Warner said.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced on Wednesday that the move would save taxpayers over $500 million in deferred maintenance costs and $56 million in annual operating expenses. However, Warner’s comments suggest that these figures have not been independently verified or shared with congressional oversight committees.
ALXnow’s Coverage of the NSF Headquarters Relocation
- June 27: EXCLUSIVE: Warner, Kaine, Beyer demand answers on NSF’s forced exit from Alexandria headquarters
- June 26: Senator Warner demands cost analysis for HUD move to Alexandria, raises concerns about NSF displacement
- June 25: HUD announces relocation to National Science Foundation building in Alexandria
- June 24: Report: National Science Foundation headquarters to be taken over by HUD, displacing 1,800+ employees
