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Senate Panel Blocks Trump’s Plan to Relocate FBI Headquarters

A rare cross-party vote to preserve $1.4 billion for Greenbelt prompted Chair Susan Collins to recess the Commerce-Justice-Science markup, setting up next week’s negotiations before the Sept. 30 funding deadline.

Overview

  • Senators voted 15-14 to adopt an amendment by Sen. Chris Van Hollen barring any use of the allocated $1.4 billion for the FBI headquarters outside the Greenbelt, Maryland site.
  • Sen. Lisa Murkowski was the only Republican to join Democrats in backing the amendment, citing the absence of completed security and mission analyses for the Reagan Building.
  • Following the amendment’s passage, several Republicans reversed their support for the overall funding bill, leading Chair Susan Collins to recess the meeting.
  • The Commerce-Justice-Science bill remains stalled, putting broader appropriations at risk and raising the prospect of a government shutdown if no agreement emerges.
  • The clash highlights a wider dispute over congressional authority in appropriations and adherence to the General Services Administration’s site-selection process approved in November 2023.