Jeff Denham: “The purpose of H.R. 1734 is to shrink the Federal real property footprint and save billions of taxpayer dollars by…”

“The purpose of H.R. 1734 is to shrink the Federal real property footprint and save billions of taxpayer dollars by selling what we don't need and better utilizing what we keep. In fiscal year 2009 alone, the Federal Government wasted more than $1.7 billion in operating underused properties. Unfortunately, under existing law, solving this problem is not easy--the process is too cumbersome and congested with red tape. The administration has tried but has realized it cannot achieve major savings without reform. As a result, H.R. 1734 includes a bipartisan solution to this problem--establishing a civilian BRAC-like process. However, unlike BRAC, the purpose of H.R. 1734 is to save money, and the commission would have to recommend actions that would result in net savings. The administration believes there are several billion dollars worth of high-value properties that could be sold quickly, and I agree with their assessment. Federal real property has been on GAO's high- risk list for nearly a decade now, and our committee, which oversees public buildings, has seen the waste firsthand. The amended bill creates a nine-member commission that would review Federal properties and recommend specific actions to reduce the Federal building inventory and, more efficiently, house Federal employees. The commission could recommend property sales, consolidations, redevelopments, or other property actions.…”