A group of Democratic representatives and senators have introduced legislation to halt President Donald Trump’s plans to move federal agencies out of Washington, D.C., despite his current efforts to do so.
In February, the Trump administration issued guidance instructing federal agencies to submit proposals to relocate agency bureaus and offices by April 14, as part of a broader initiative to root out inefficiencies in government operations.
The proposed bills from House and Senate Democrats aim to mandate that agencies must conduct and share a thorough cost-benefit analysis with Congress and the public before any relocations take place.
“Everyone here, every one of my colleagues, wants to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse… but that rhetoric [from the administration] is masking an agenda that goes against the interests of the United States of America,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., during a press conference announcing the new legislative push at the Capitol.
“All of this is designed to reduce the federal workforce and undermine the government of the United States,” added Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. “That is the underlying philosophy behind this entire endeavor.”
Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen previously introduced “The COST of Relocations Act” in 2020, and reintroduced it in 2023.
“We had hoped that the bill wouldn’t be necessary again, but unfortunately, it is,” Van Hollen said at the press event. “It is needed to prevent Donald Trump and Elon Musk from squandering American taxpayer money by disrupting services that the American public relies on.”
