DOGE's Bold Push to Offload Government Buildings Gains Ground with Former GSA Chief's Backing

Exclusive: The federal government may soon be shedding some serious real estate baggage, thanks to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its partnership with the General Services Administration (GSA). Former GSA head Emily Murphy, who served under President Donald Trump, has thrown her support behind plans to sell or lease unused government buildings. The goal? Save billions and streamline operations.

Murphy highlighted the scale of the problem, noting that federal buildings currently face over $370 billion in deferred maintenance costs. "The federal buildings they own have liabilities that are just growing because they haven't been maintained. Selling vacant or underutilized spaces takes that liability off the government's books and creates opportunities for local communities," she explained. The neglected properties, often located in prime downtown areas, could become valuable assets if repurposed.

For those wondering about the numbers, GSA has already canceled 794 leases, saving over $500 million. Terminating leases and selling unused office space offers dual benefits, Murphy said: freeing up short-term funds for government agencies and reducing long-term financial obligations. "No taxpayer should want the government paying for space it doesn’t use," she added, emphasizing that billions of dollars go toward rent and real estate payments annually.

Murphy called DOGE’s cost-cutting mission a bipartisan issue, saying, "Efficiency and minimizing waste isn’t a Republican or Democratic challenge. It's about ensuring taxpayers’ dollars are spent wisely." During her tenure, GSA returned $21.6 billion in savings, making her a reliable voice in this conversation.

Stephen Ehikian, the acting administrator of the GSA, echoed Murphy's sentiments and pledged to bring the agency back to its core purpose: smarter and faster government operations. He stated, "Moving forward, GSA will be laser-focused on driving an efficient government and enabling our sister agencies to provide better service to taxpayers at lower costs." A webpage on the GSA site teasing a "Non-core property list (Coming Soon)" suggests more federal properties will soon be up for grabs.

The Associated Press reported that dozens of federal office leases will be terminated by June 20, with hundreds more expected later. Last week, GSA initially listed over 440 federal properties for disposal but later revised the list to 320 before updating the webpage to "coming soon." Musk, who oversees DOGE, has been vocal about the issue, calling out unused office buildings on social media. DOGE recently announced over $100 million in annual rent savings through lease cancellations of 250+ vacant properties, and Musk responded, "Crazy that the government was just renting and paying for upkeep services of hundreds of empty buildings!"

While selling off government buildings may not sound glamorous, it’s a move that could reshape how federal spaces are utilized. If this push succeeds, it might be the rare story where taxpayers actually get their money's worth. Now that would be a plot twist worth following!