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DRAIN THE SWAMP Act
2/3/2025, 5:19 PM
Summary of Bill S 23
The main goal of this bill is to decentralize the concentration of federal government employees in the Washington, D.C. area and spread them out to other regions across the country. Proponents of the bill argue that this will help to reduce the influence and power of the federal government in one specific location, as well as provide economic benefits to other regions by creating jobs and stimulating local economies.
Opponents of the bill, however, raise concerns about the potential disruption and cost associated with relocating a significant portion of federal employees. They argue that this could lead to inefficiencies in government operations and hinder the ability of agencies to effectively carry out their missions. Overall, Bill 119 s 23 is a controversial piece of legislation that seeks to address the issue of centralization of federal government employees in the Washington, D.C. area. It will be important for lawmakers to carefully consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of this proposal before making a decision on its passage.
Congressional Summary of S 23
Decentralizing and Reorganizing Agency Infrastructure Nation-wide To Harness Efficient Services, Workforce Administration, and Management Practices Act or the DRAIN THE SWAMP Act
This bill relocates 30% of employees of executive agencies who are based in the Washington, DC area and reduces the office headquarters of agencies by 30%. It also ends full-time telework for relocated employees and for those who remain based in the DC area.
Under the bill, each agency must relocate at least 30% of full-time employees based at the agency’s headquarters, including full-time telework employees who receive DC-area locality pay (unless telework is an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act). The bill does not apply to certain essential employees in the Executive Office of the President, the Department of Defense, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Homeland Security.
In determining the new duty stations, each agency must promote geographic diversity and ensure adequate staffing throughout the regions of the agency. Compensation for relocated employees must be according to the locality pay scale for their new duty station. Agencies must provide their reduction plans to Congress within 180 days and complete the relocations within one year after the bill's enactment.
Further, the Office of Management and Budget must identify at least 30% of agency headquarters' office space (i.e., real property) to sell or to cease leasing. Agency heads must complete the space reduction within two years after the bill's enactment.
