Dem Lawmaker Accuses Musk And Trump Of 'Looting The Federal Government And Stripping It For Parts'

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At a House DOGE Committee hearing before the Congressional recess, Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH) spoke about recent moves from Elon Musk and President Trump.

Transcript

00:00The gentleman yields and I now recognize Ms. Brown from Ohio for five minutes.

00:04Thank you, Chairwoman. I wanted to wave on to today's hearing because the General Service

00:08Administration is rushing to sell a piece of federal infrastructure in my district,

00:14the Anthony J. Celebrize Federal Building in downtown Cleveland. Let me be clear,

00:19this isn't just the sale of a building. It's a reckless decision that could destabilize

00:24essential services for my constituents, displace some 4,000 federal employees,

00:31and deal a blow to the local economy. The Celebrize houses the IRS, the Veterans Benefits

00:37Administration, the Defense Finance and Accounting Services, DHS, and the Equal Employment

00:43Opportunity Commission. These are the people ensuring tax seasons run smoothly.

00:47Our veterans get their benefits and military payroll is processed accordingly.

00:52Selling this building, especially on an expedited three-year timeline, compared to the usual

00:5710 years this takes, is short-sighted and misguided. And what it really represents is another example

01:05of Donald Trump and Elon Musk's chaotic and careless approach to cost-cutting. In fact,

01:10cost-cutting is too generous. What they are really doing is looting the federal government

01:16and stripping it for parts. This sale could result in reduced public access to services,

01:22lower job security for thousands of workers, and a ripple effect throughout Cleveland's downtown

01:28economy. Local businesses, public transit, and city revenues all depend on the federal footprint

01:33of this building. The administration promises to relocate workers to other spaces in Cleveland.

01:39That's great. But how? How can their word be trusted? They are selling a building while forcing workers

01:47to return to the office. They claim they will look for new lease space as they simultaneously cancel

01:52leases nationwide. And they are firing federal workers that provide my constituents and the American

01:57people with critical programs and services. So what assurances do we have that they'll actually

02:03maintain staffing levels and secure new space for the agencies affected? Or is this just another

02:09slash-and-burn strategy, a thinly-veiled attack on the federal workforce under the guise of reform?

02:15This building is an anchor for downtown Cleveland. Removing this presence will not only leave a void

02:20in the heart of Cleveland, it will undermine the progress that we've made in revitalizing the city.

02:25There is a responsible way to reduce and consolidate the federal government's real estate portfolio,

02:30portfolio. But this hasty decision is not it. So, Mr. Kendall, can you tell us how does GSA balance

02:37the social and community impacts like job loss, transit disruption, and economic disinvestment

02:42with the needs of the agency? That's a difficult question. GSA defers to end-user agencies in terms

02:54of what their space needs are. They really are a reactive organization in terms of finding space.

03:02They typically, the rule is to use own space, and if that's not available, to lease space.

03:09The Calabrese building, I don't know the particulars of it. If it is not in, if there's not an exigency

03:15about selling it because it constitutes a life safety threat to the occupants, it doesn't have to be moved.

03:24I mean, part of the argument here today is that federal workers are being put in opulent space,

03:31lease space, and incurring great costs, but they could be retained in maybe Class B

03:36or B-minus federally owned buildings and avoid lease costs. GSA is all about avoiding lease costs.

03:44So, I don't know specifically about the mission needs of the agencies that are housed in that building,

03:53but my sense would be GSA is deferential to those concerns.

04:00So, given your experience at the GSA, how would you characterize the administration's rushed approach?

04:05Would their rushed approach to decision-making and shortening the disposal timeline lead to more efficiencies or less?

04:11I think there is a lot of haste going on today, and I think it is ill thought through.

04:22I think a much more deliberate approach should be taken to deciding what buildings to retain and what to get rid of.

04:30I also think that the staffing levels are endangering GSA's, the reduction in staffing.

04:38I understand 63% of the PBS employees are to be terminated.

04:43That's three out of every five.

04:45I don't know how it was determined, how they reached that number, and in consideration of what mission needs are,

04:55and what types and numbers of employees you need to execute.

04:59So, I'm concerned.

04:59So, the last thing I want to get, before I run out of time, this question in is,

05:03the list reported that building utilization is a contributing factor to the need for management of federal property.

05:09How is the president's return to work impacting GAO's analysis of federal real estate?

05:13The gentle lady is out of time.

05:15All right.

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