EXCLUSIVE: Warner, Kaine, Beyer demand answers on NSF’s forced exit from Alexandria headquarters

Alexandria’s congressional delegation is escalating pressure on federal officials regarding the controversial decision to relocate the National Science Foundation (NSF) from its Alexandria headquarters to accommodate the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), according to a letter obtained exclusively by ALXnow.

Just one day after Senator Mark Warner criticized the move and demanded a full cost-benefit analysis during a media availability, the Virginia delegation has now formalized their concerns in writing.

The move, which was first announced on Tuesday (June 24), was officially announced on Wednesday (June 25) during a press conference at the NSF building featuring HUD Secretary Scott Turner, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, and General Services Administration (GSA) Commissioner Michael Peters. The announcement drew disruption from NSF employees, forcing organizers to move the press conference to another room due to chanting and noise from staff members who had only learned of the displacement that morning through an internal memo.

Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), along with Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA-8th District), sent a strongly worded letter Friday (June 27) to Acting GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian expressing “serious concern” about the move that will affect roughly 1,800 NSF employees currently housed at the Alexandria facility.

The letter, dated June 27, 2025, criticizes the decision as being made “without meaningful consultation of all impacted stakeholders” and showing “a lack of regard for NSF, its mission, and its workforce.”

Escalating Congressional Pressure

The formal letter builds on concerns Warner raised just Thursday (June 26) when responding to ALXnow’s questions during a media availability, when he demanded a full cost-benefit analysis and expressed skepticism about HUD Secretary Scott Turner’s claims of over $500 million in taxpayer savings. Warner said at the time he had not seen any cost evaluation for the move and criticized the administration’s handling of NSF employees.

“To kind of drop this on the employees of the NSF, we’re without any forewarning or indication of where they’re headed,” Warner said Thursday, calling it part of what he described as an effort to “traumatize the federal workforce.”

The Virginia lawmakers are particularly troubled by the apparent lack of transparency in the GSA’s decision-making process. They note that while Virginia has the capacity to house HUD, “the decision to bring HUD to Virginia should not come at the expense of roughly 1,800 NSF employees already being housed at the proposed site.”

The delegation emphasizes NSF’s critical national security mission, noting that the agency “was established by Congress in 1950 to ensure the United States’ global leadership in innovation” and recently received significant bipartisan support through the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, which doubled NSF’s budget over five years.

Questions About Cost Claims

Warner’s previous comments to ALXnow highlight skepticism about the administration’s cost justifications. During Wednesday’s announcement, HUD Secretary Scott Turner claimed the move would save taxpayers over $500 million in deferred maintenance costs and $56 million in annual operating expenses compared to staying in HUD’s current aging Weaver building in Washington, D.C.

However, Warner indicated Thursday these figures have not been independently verified or shared with congressional oversight committees.

“You gotta factor in the costs of moving NSF, and where are they going to locate?” Warner said Thursday, adding that he serves on both the Senate Finance and Budget committees, positions he would use to demand transparency from GSA about total relocation costs.

In their formal letter, the delegation is now requesting specific cost estimates and detailed documentation to substantiate the administration’s claims of savings.

Recent Investment at Risk

The letter highlights that NSF only moved to its current Alexandria location in 2017 from Ballston, with the facility at 2415 Eisenhower Ave. specifically “designed with the specifications and technology necessary for NSF to promote American science and national security.” The modern building, completed in 2017, offers amenities including proximity to the Eisenhower Metro station.

Many of the affected employees are Virginia residents who learned of their displacement only on Wednesday morning through an internal staff memo from Brian Stone, who is performing the duties of NSF director. The memo stated that GSA had determined NSF was not “fully utilizing” its allocated office space.

Demanding Detailed Answers

The congressional delegation has given GSA until July 11, 2025, to provide comprehensive responses to more than a dozen questions with “detailed answers, accompanied by documentation sufficient to substantiate those answers”:

When did GSA begin its assessment of “utilization of space and occupancy” at NSF headquarters?
Describe the process used to determine that NSF was not “fully” utilizing its office space.
When was the final determination made that NSF was not “fully” utilizing its office space?
Was NSF consulted during GSA’s assessment? If so, list the officials at NSF who were consulted, and the means by which their input was collected.
When was HUD made aware that it would be moving into NSF’s headquarters? o Was HUD consulted during GSA’s assessment? If so, list the officials at HUD who were consulted, and the means by which their input was collected.
On what date will NSF employees be required to leave their offices and vacate the building?
Have locations been identified for NSF employees to work if they are removed from their offices?
Provide information on the locations where NSF employees will work if they are removed from their offices.
Has there been any assessment of how the moves could affect the respective workforces of NSF and HUD? If so, describe the plans for continuity of workforce at both NSF and HUD resulting from this move.
Has there been any assessment of how the moves could affect critical functions of HUD and NSF, including HUD loans and NSF grant reviews? If so, describe the plans for continuity of services for constituents at both NSF and HUD resulting from this move.
Provide any cost estimates prepared for and used to determine the cost of moving both NSF and HUD workforces.
Describe any modifications necessary, contemplated, or planned to be made to the current NSF headquarters building needed to accommodate the HUD Secretary and workforce.
Describe the process by which GSA is identifying a new headquarters for NSF. What is the timeline for any planned move to a new NSF headquarters?
What measures are being taken to secure American’s personally identifiable information (PII) at NSF and HUD during the transition?

Warner also suggested Thursday that the move was designed to “traumatize the federal workforce,” pointing to what he described as an anti-science bias within the Republican administration.

“When we’ve seen particularly the first Trump administration, where there were movements made for purely political show,” Warner said, noting that such moves often result in significant personnel losses that ultimately cost taxpayers money rather than saving it.

*The full letter sent by Virginia’s congressional delegation to GSA Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian.*

Broader Implications

The dispute highlights ongoing tensions over federal agency relocations and the utilization of space in the DMV. The move could significantly impact both agencies’ operations and their respective workforces, particularly given the specialized nature of NSF’s scientific mission and HUD’s housing programs.

HUD will ultimately occupy the entire 660,000-square-foot building, though officials have not provided a specific timeline for the complete transition. GSA Commissioner Michael Peters said Wednesday the process will be staggered to accommodate both agencies’ operational needs, and that GSA has committed to helping NSF identify suitable alternative space, likely in Virginia.

The letter represents a rare instance of Virginia’s Democratic congressional delegation directly challenging a Republican administration’s decision, which the state’s Republican governor announced and celebrated.

GSA has not yet responded to the letter, which was sent today. The Virginia delegation indicated they will await GSA’s response before determining next steps.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.