Utilizing Space Efficiently and Improving Technologies Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROSE. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 6276, the USE IT Act. The USE IT Act is a commonsense bill that requires a report on the occupancy and actual utilization rates of public buildings and federally leased spaces occupied by Federal agencies.

The report must also list any costs to taxpayers associated with capacity that exceeds occupancy.

The USE IT Act also requires the government to sell or dispose of excess capacity space or consolidate space in buildings with a utilization rate below 60 percent.

Mr. Chair, Tennesseans are rightfully outraged that their taxpayer dollars are paying for mostly empty Federal buildings.

Many of the folks I represent show up to work every day to put food on the table, care for their community, or teach and train the next generation of leaders. However, for some reason, those in Washington and around this country who collect a check from their taxpayer-funded job believe showing up for work is no longer necessary. They are mistaken.

In a report on the USE IT Act issued by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the committee noted that according to a recent Government Accountability Office, or GAO, report, 17 of the 24 agency headquarters in GAO's review were at 25 percent or less utilization.

The GAO report also noted that some agency headquarters had as low as 9 percent space utilization--9 percent.

Mr. Chair, think of it this way: A Federal building with an occupancy of 1,000 may only have 90 people working in it on any given workday. That is just ridiculous, frankly.

That is why I have offered my amendment, which would build upon the underlying bill by specifically requiring that Federal agencies report to inspectors general any large public building or federally leased spaces with a capacity of 500 employees or more and a utilization rate below 20 percent during the reporting period in the underlying bill.

My amendment excludes vacant office buildings.

Any large building or federally leased space identified would be forwarded to the relevant inspector general to conduct an investigation to determine whether there is any evidence of fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement.

It is simple, Mr. Chair. If a building meant for more than 500 people is being utilized less than 20 percent, the inspector general must investigate whether there is fraud, waste, and mismanagement taking place.

It is unfortunate that although many large Federal office buildings are operating at frighteningly low occupancy rates, Federal agencies are not taking steps to increase building utilization rates, actions to reduce their footprint, or any meaningful movements to reduce the operating costs of these empty office spaces despite repeated warnings from Congress to do so.

It is imperative that inspectors general investigate whether waste, fraud, and mismanagement is taking place in these buildings that aren't being utilized to ensure that we are spending taxpayer dollars wisely.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. ROSE. Mr. Chair, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Chair, thankfully, the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are passed us. However, most Federal agencies have not adjusted to this post-pandemic period, which is reflected in the deserted Federal office buildings throughout our country.

I hope all Members will support this effort to bring greater transparency and accountability to large Federal buildings and federally leased spaces with low utilization rates by supporting my amendment and the underlying bill.

In closing, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on my amendment, ``yes'' on the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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