T
he Senate's DOGE leader, Sen. Joni Ernst, is pushing to sell off several major real estate properties in Washington, D.C., currently home to prominent cabinet agencies, as part of a plan to reduce the national debt. The "For Sale Act" would put six properties on the market, including the James Forrestal Federal Building, also known as the "Little Pentagon," which houses the Department of Energy. Other buildings along Independence Avenue in the Federal Center section of Washington would also be sold off.

    The sale of these properties is expected to generate significant revenue for the U.S. Treasury and help reduce the national debt, currently standing at $36 trillion. Ernst has emphasized that any employees working in these buildings would be relocated without layoffs or attrition.

    The legislation includes safeguards against foreign entities buying up the properties, with a provision prohibiting any entity in which a foreign national is a "beneficial owner" from participating in federal real estate sales. This move comes as China and other rivals have purchased land near sensitive installations like a major Air Force base in North Dakota.

    Taxpayers currently shell out about $81 million to maintain underutilized or unutilized federal offices, with 7,700 federal office spaces vacant and 2,200 majority-empty. Annual maintenance on 277,000 federal buildings tops $10 billion per year. Ernst has previously successfully mandated the sale of the aging Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building in Federal Center, which was found to be underutilized.

    The proposed sales are part of a broader effort by DOGE to reduce government waste and inefficiency. By selling off these properties, Ernst hopes to generate revenue for the U.S. Treasury and help tackle the national debt.