Top VA Elected Officials Show 'United Front' In Bringing FBI Headquarters To Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, VA — Top elected officials from Virginia gathered in Springfield Wednesday morning to urge the federal government to select a nearby site as the new headquarters for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, rather than building in Maryland.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin was joined by U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, along with U.S. Reps. Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer and Abigail Spanberger, to argue in favor of the General Services Administration selecting the Springfield site on Loisdale Road over two other sites under consideration in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Speaking behind a podium with a sign that read, "Virginia: Best Home for FBI," officials detailed different ways that the Springfield site best meets the criteria set by the GSA and FBI in choosing a new headquarters.

"The Springfield site is ideal for the next FBI headquarters because it saves the most money for U.S. taxpayers," Youngkin said in his remarks on Wednesday. "Virginia stands ready to ensure that the FBI is well-positioned to continue to serve all Americans."

With the Springfield site, the Biden administration has an opportunity to make good on its promise to invest in diverse and underserved communities, Warner said, and in doing so "can deliver a world-class HQ that best helps the men and women of the FBI meet their mission day-in and day-out."

Warner also expressed concern with how long the process in selecting a new FBI headquarters site has taken. "This process has to come to an end," he said, noting that it has been going on for almost 15 years.

"Between the fantastic transportation network, schools, business climate, national security network, diverse communities, commitment to affordable housing, and site readiness, there's no better place for the FBI headquarters than Springfield," Kaine said.

The GSA is preparing to select the FBI headquarters location using five criteria: weighted most at 35 percent is serving the FBI mission, including proximity to the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and the Justice Department. Transportation access is weighted as 25 percent. Development flexibility is weighted as 15 percent. Promoting racial equity and sustainable siting is weighted as 15 percent, and cost to acquire and prepare the site is weighted as 10 percent.

Last year, top elected officials in Maryland unsuccessfully sought to adjust how the criteria was weighted in a spending bill. They believe the current weighting unfairly advantages the Springfield location for its proximity to Quantico, and de-prioritizes racial equity and cost.

Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer said Maryland is seeking to give equal weight to each criteria, The Associated Press reported. But the Virginia delegation believes the weighting is sound and that lawmakers should not use their powers to "micromanage" the GSA’s selection process, as Warner previously described the efforts, for the FBI headquarters.

Connolly, who represents Virginia's 11th congressional district where the headquarters would be located, said Fairfax County's diversity, proximity, and economic strength are key components that will help aide the FBI’s mission.

"The Springfield site is the clear leader in nexus to FBI partner facilities, access to transit, equity, and cost-effectiveness. Those criteria, not political gamesmanship, should drive this process," Connolly said.

The current FBI headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C. opened to its first employees in June 1974. For more than 15 years, FBI officials have complained that the D.C. headquarters is obsolete, inefficient and no longer meets the needs of an organization that has grown dramatically in the last 45 years.

The proposed site in Springfield would be located at a GSA warehouse complex on Loisdale Road, which connects with Franconia Road to the north and Fairfax County Parkway to the south. The proposed site is located adjacent to the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station.

In December, Maryland congressional leaders secured language in a federal spending bill that gave both Maryland and Virginia 90 more days to make final presentations to the GSA. On Wednesday, Warner said he expects Virginia to meet with the GSA in the first week of March to give its final presentation.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisor Rodney Lusk, who represents the proposed site for the FBI headquarters, said relocating the FBI to Springfield would bring greater prosperity to an area of the county that is a majority-minority community and where there are pockets of great need.

Lusk said he and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay, who previously represented the Franconia District on the Board of Supervisors, stand ready to support the federal government in doing what it takes to help the FBI move to Springfield.

Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall, who also serves as chair of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, said through Virginia’s more than $15 billion investment in multimodal transportation improvements, the Springfield site provides more travel choices and public transportation options than the two sites being considered in Maryland.

"Whether it’s FBI workers commuting to the new headquarters or traveling between FBI offices, Department of Justice or private entities," Randall said at the news conference. "I look forward to welcoming the FBI to Springfield, and being a trusted partner with the agency as it continues to grow."

Spanberger, who represents Quantico, where the FBI Academy is located, said she and members of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors felt it was important to travel to Springfield to show their support for Virginia’s bid to win the FBI headquarters.

“I am proud that we are here with a great show of force” to explain why Virginia should be chosen for the new FBI headquarters, Spanberger said.

Virginia Del. Luke Torian, who has represented a part of Prince William County for more than 14 years, pointed to the participants at Wednesday's event to highlight the strength behind Virginia's effort to get the FBI headquarters.

"We are a united front," Torian said.

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