The current building of the FBI headquarters in Washington, Colombia County, has been aimed at replacement for years. (Photo by Brian P. Sears/Maryland Question)
Maryland officials who have fought political and legal battles in their efforts to land the new FBI headquarters in Greenbelt are now facing a frightening new challenge – geography.
In a speech on Friday at the Ministry of Justice, President Donald Trump (R) said he would suspend plans to build the new FBI central office in Maryland, as it was “three hours” from the current site of the 935 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington.
In November 2023, the General Services Administration elected Greenbelt in Prince George County as a place for the next FBI home and its 7,500 employees. The other two options were in Landor, also in Prince George and Springfield, Virginia.
All three sites are in or in the capital. Google Maps show that Greenbelt’s site is 10 to 11 miles from the current FBI Central Department while Vrana flies, and about 16 miles by car.
“They would build the FBI headquarters three o’clock in Maryland, a liberal state,” Trump said. “But this is not relevant to what I will say. We will stop it. I will not allow this to happen. “
The distance from the Ministry of Justice, at 950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, to Greenbelt, is 10.84 miles while crow flies, or 16.9 miles by car, according to Google Maps. According to President Donald Trump is a distance of three hours.
Instead, Trump called for a new FBI central office to be built on his current site, which is in the same block of Avenue Pennsylvania as the Ministry of Justice. Agencies must be close to work together, a lesson that Trump said he had learned during his “pursuit” of the two, which “in my case works together for bad purposes.”
The FBI comments came during a one -hour speech during which Trump accused the administration of former President Joe Biden (D) in using the Ministry of Justice to continue after him and his supporters.
Although it may be away, Maryland’s employees took Trump’s comments seriously.
The state remains locked in battle with Virginia representatives who continue to charge that the process of selecting the site in Maryland was insufficient, especially since the report of the Federal Inspector General Inspector, published last month, found guilt in the process. However, the report never states that there is a problem with the Greenbelt site.
Governor Wes Moore (D) and all Democrats in the Delegation of the Congress of the State – Sensa Angela Alsobowks and Chris van Holen and repetitions. Stinni Hoyer, Glen Ivy, Quati Mfum, Jamie Raskin, Sarah Elfret, April McClane Delny and Johnny Olshevsky, April McClain Delny and Johnny Alshev Jur.
“The FBI needs a new plant that meets its mission. GSA has chosen Greenbelt for the new, FBI consolidated headquarters based on the fact that it is the best site and offers the lowest price and the best value for taxpayers, “the statement said.
“Moreover, this guarantees that the FBI can move to a facility that will finally meet its mission and security needs as soon as possible. We will continue to work to bring the headquarters to Maryland, after the final decision made for it in 2023. “
Moore in a separate publication on social media said that moving the FBI project from Maryland is a “reckless move that threatens our national security.”
Maryland’s house on Friday voted 100-36 for the House Bill 1078, which will require the governor to include $ 200 million a year in the Stater budget “For the conversion of the site and to improve the transport infrastructure for the movement of the Federal Investigation Bureau.” The measure was sponsored by Prince George’s democratic del. Nicole Williams, Ann Heli and Ashanti Martinez, whose area includes Greenbelt.
The Senator of the District, Senator Alonzo Washington (D), sponsors a version of the Senate of the accompanying senate of the bill that was aimed at the Committee on Rules of this Chamber last month.
House Mujority Whip Jazz Lewis (D-Prince George’s) said on Friday that Trump does not have the power to stop just a project because he says so. Lewis said the Federal Law on the Administrative Procedure would be the main reason to make a change in a project based on national security.
“When he [Trump] He made his message, he said what his reasons were. He said he did not want the FBI to go to Maryland, a liberal state three hours away, “Lewis said on Friday night after the session of the Anapolis House.
“He doesn’t know geography, for one, because Greenbelt is 15 minutes out of town. In addition to the question, its change in policy is for guerrilla reasons, not for national security, “Lewis said.
Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a non -profit news network, supported by grants and a donor coalition as a public charity 501c (3). Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact the editor Steve Crane for questions: editor@marylandmatters.org.