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The FBI Isn't Getting Its New HQ Any Time Soon

The General Services Administration says it doesn't have enough funding to contract out a new building for the FBI.

By: Matt Picht

Posted at 7:45 PM, Jul 11, 2017

and last updated 2017-07-11 19:45:49-04

The FBI is going to have to wait a bit longer to find its new headquarters.

The J. Edgar Hoover building has stood for more than four decades, and it's starting to wear out. Developers and officials have spent years bidding for the agency's next HQ.

But now the federal government has canceled the project to find a new HQ, saying it didn't have the funding.

The General Services Administration, which manages federal agencies, says Congress only gave it $523 million out of the $1.4 billion it asked for in 2017. The agency says the cancellation "does not lessen the need for a new FBI headquarters."

But some Democrats argued that money previously set aside for the project, combined with the existing building's value, should have been enough to cover the cost. They blame budget mismanagement for the canceled project.

The FBI is still missing its leader since the president fired former Director James Comey. His appointed successor, Christopher Wray, will have his confirmation hearing Wednesday.