In a recent development, Republican Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa has called on the United States Postal Service (USPS) to provide a detailed account of its building usage.
The demand was made in a letter dispatched on Friday, reflecting the senator's growing concern over the agency's financial management.
As reported by the Daily Caller, the USPS has been grappling with significant financial losses, amounting to over $18 billion in the past two fiscal years, as per generally accepted accounting procedures. This information was disclosed in a release by the agency on November 14.
In her letter, Senator Ernst urged Postmaster General David Steiner to provide answers pertaining to the facilities owned or leased by the USPS by January 9, 2026. This request was prompted by a report from the agencys inspector general, dated November 24.
Senator Ernst expressed her concern, stating, The IG found that the USPS has no reliable data on how it uses its buildings, no comprehensive strategy to reduce waste, and no recorded space assessments for over 21,500 of its buildings.
The senator further voiced her apprehensions to the Daily Caller News Foundation, saying, If youre wondering how the U.S. Postal Service loses billions every year, look no further than the fact that they self-admittedly have no clue if they are using the buildings they pay for. Unfortunately, this isnt rare in Washington with your tax dollars paying for 7,700 completely vacant buildings! I will continue leading the charge to evaluate the federal governments bloated real estate portfolio and downsize unneeded and costly office space.
The USPS's real estate portfolio is extensive, with ownership or leases of over 34,000 buildings across the country. However, the inspector general's report reveals that more than 95% of these properties have not been reviewed at all or since 2020.
The report further highlighted, The Postal Service did not effectively manage excess and underutilized space as it does not have reliable data, does not know the amount of this space throughout its network, and does not have a comprehensive strategy for reducing this space. The Postal Service also did not comply with a key [Federal Property Management Reform Act (FPMRA)] reporting requirement on excess and underutilized space.
Senator Ernst has been actively investigating the federal governments real estate holdings. A memo from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation in December 2023 revealed that only six out of 24 agencies had building utilization rates below the Transportation Departments 14%, with the Social Security Administration recording the lowest utilization rate at 7%.
In December 2023, Ernsts office informed the DCNF that every government agency is using less than half of its office space, with the State Department utilizing the highest total of 49% of its office space.
In an effort to address this issue, Senator Ernst introduced S. 3901, the Disposing of Inactive Structures and Properties by Offering for Sale And Lease (DISPOSAL) Act. The act aims to sell off six major federal government-owned buildings in Washington, D.C. Ernsts office informed the DCNF that the legislation would not only generate $400 million in revenue but also save $2.9 billion in maintenance costs and streamline the process to sell other buildings.
In December 2024, Ernst issued a 60-page report detailing her investigations into telework issues. The report discussed the impact of largely vacant office buildings on environmental quality in workplaces.
Ernst wrote, Dangerous contaminants are collecting in stagnant water caused by reduced building occupancy. Several employees who work in federal buildings have been diagnosed with Legionnaires Disease and the potentially deadly bacteria is being found in underutilized government buildings across the country. Unsafe levels of lead and copper are being detected in the drinking water in childcare centers located in government buildings.
Despite the majority of government employees working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government spent $3.3 billion on new furniture, according to the New York Post. This raises further questions about the government's spending habits and the need for more efficient use of taxpayer dollars.
Login