Ernst Announces Plan to Consolidate Federal Agencies, Reduce Unused Buildings

WASHINGTON (April 20, 2026) — U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa joined federal officials Tuesday to announce a plan to consolidate government office space in Washington, D.C., bringing two agencies under one roof in an effort to reduce unused buildings and cut costs.

Ernst appeared alongside General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Edward Forst and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Scott Kupor to outline the initiative, which will merge operations of the two agencies into shared space.

The move is aimed at addressing long-standing concerns about underutilized federal real estate and rising maintenance costs. Officials say consolidating office space will allow the government to make better use of existing buildings while saving taxpayer dollars.

“For years, I’ve been working to literally downsize government by selling off Washington’s unneeded, unused, and deteriorating real estate, and today we are taking action,” Ernst said. “By consolidating two agencies under one roof, GSA and OPM are putting more office space to work.”

As part of the plan, GSA will temporarily relocate to OPM’s headquarters at the Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building beginning in July. The move comes as GSA’s current headquarters at 1800 F Street undergoes renovations.

GSA Administrator Edward Forst described the consolidation as a significant step toward improving the federal government’s real estate portfolio.

“GSA and OPM are taking unprecedented action by coming together to fortify America’s real estate portfolio and tackle the delinquent maintenance and vacancies that have plagued it for decades,” Forst said.

Kupor echoed those sentiments, emphasizing efficiency and modernization.

“This move reflects our commitment to being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars while ensuring OPM employees have modern, efficient space to support their mission,” he said.

The announcement builds on Ernst’s ongoing efforts to highlight and reduce waste in federal property management. In recent years, she has released reports pointing to widespread underuse of government office space, including a 2024 report detailing the cost of vacant and underutilized buildings.

Ernst has also proposed legislation aimed at selling off excess federal properties. Her FOR SALE Act would place several high-value buildings in Washington on the auction block, potentially generating more than $400 million in revenue while addressing billions in deferred maintenance costs. Another proposal, the DISPOSAL Act, seeks to streamline the process for selling unneeded federal buildings.

Last month, Ernst joined GSA leadership in announcing the sale of a regional office building in Washington, a move officials say will save taxpayers more than $700 million.

Officials say the latest consolidation effort is part of a broader push to ensure federal facilities are used more efficiently and aligned with current workforce needs.