On Wednesday, U.S. Representative Scott Perry (PA-10) announced the enactment of two of his bills that will greatly reduce waste in the federal government. Both the Utilizing Space Efficiently and Improving Technologies (USE IT) Act of 2023 (H.R. 6276), and the FASTA Reform Act of 2023 (H.R. 6277), were included in S. 4367, signed by the President on January 6, 2025.
As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, Congressman Perry oversaw the federal government’s management of all public buildings. He’s been consistent in his fight to reduce waste and improve efficiency in the federal government, and made these bills his subcommittee priorities in the 118th Congress. The USE IT Act requires the federal government to use 60% of the capacity of federal buildings or sell them, and the FASTA Reform Act strengthens the authority of the Public Buildings Reform Board to increase the number of federal properties to be sold or redeveloped.
“American Taxpayers have been forced to pay $2 billion a year for office space – almost half the size of Disney World – that D.C. bureaucrats refuse to use,” said Rep. Perry. “The federal government has been grasping onto more than 11,000 acres of old, unused buildings, and won’t force its employees into the offices paid for by the American People. It’s over time we end this waste of hardworking Americans’ tax dollars and sell these unused public spaces. I’m proud and relieved to see these two bills become law.”
The Government Services Agency manages about 1,500 buildings, equating to more than 500 million square feet of office space. According to a study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), 17 of the 24 agencies reviewed used 25 percent or less of their headquarters office space. The GAO reported that of the highest performing quarter of the 24 federal agencies, no agency used more than 49 percent of its headquarters. Rep. Perry’s bills will ensure that Americans don’t pay for federal buildings that sit idle and empty.
To watch Rep. Perry’s remarks on the USE IT Act of 2023, before the Rules Committee, click here. To read the full text of H.R. 6276, click here. To watch Rep. Perry’s remarks on the FASTA Reform Act of 2023 on the House floor, click here. To read the full text of H.R. 6277, click here.
