Republican senators introduce bill to move federal agencies away from Washington
The bill, titled the “Helping Infrastructure Restore the Economy (HIRE) Act,” is sponsored by Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. Hawley cited plans by the Bureau of Land Management to move portions of the agency to Colorado and Missouri for his support for relocating parts of the federal government.
Under the bill, 10 agencies would be required to relocate 90 percent of staffers. The Department of Agriculture would move to Hawley’s home state of Missouri and Blackburn’s Tennessee would be home to the Department of Education.
Critics argue moving the USDA and BLM would weaken the agencies and reduce their influence with lawmakers. This fall, 27 top BLM officials will move to its Grand Junction, Colo., headquarter while hundreds of staffers will be spread out across the West.
