Top officials at the General Services Administration and FBI committed Wednesday to crafting a new plan within 120 days to move the nation’s top law enforcement agency into a consolidated headquarters after abruptly canceling their years-long search for a new facility last month.
Michael Gelber, acting commissioner of the GSA’s Public Buildings Service, and Richard Haley II, the FBI’s assistant director and CFO, agreed to come up with a workable solution under questioning during a Senate committee meeting that sought answers as to why the two agencies decided to scrap the search — and what happens next. Gelber and Haley made the commitment in response to a request by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, chair of the Senate’s Committee on Environment and Public Works. Barrasso said the pair should expect the committee to fold a follow-up hearing on the subject before the end of the year.
Several committee members expressed frustration that they only learned about the decision in the media rather than being notified ahead of time. Gelber said that was not how the GSA planned to make the disclosure but that word leaked out through channels outside of its control.