EHN introduces bill to block relocation of agency headquarters from DC

Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) has introduced the Protecting Federal Agencies and Employees from Political Interference Act, which would bar the relocation of federal agency headquarters outside the National Capital Region (NCR) without congressional approval.

Norton’s bill comes in response to a directive from the Trump administration last week instructing federal agencies to propose moving offices from Washington, DC, to other parts of the country. Citing past relocations under Trump’s first term, Norton argued that such moves disrupt agency operations, drive away experienced employees, and degrade federal services.

“The Trump administration is waging an open war against federal employees,” Norton said. She pointed to the 2019 relocation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to Kansas City, which a 2022 Government Accountability Office report found led to a loss of expertise.

Norton emphasized the importance of keeping agency headquarters in the NCR, where staff provide Congress with critical information for lawmaking and oversight. She urged her colleagues to back the legislation. Given the current political landscape and the likelihood of Republican opposition, Norton's bill faces an uphill battle in Congress