According to a new report, Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan wants to play Lynyrd Skynyrd in his latest attempt to wrest control of the federal government away from the left.
The FBI may not be singing “Sweet Home Alabama” in response to The Wall Street Journal’s report, but this appears to be the theme song for the latest effort to dismantle the culture, behavior, and image of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Jordan has proposed enabling the FBI to establish a new headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama, according to unnamed sources cited by The Wall Street Journal.
The current proposal calls for the agency to relocate from Washington, D.C. to the suburbs, according to the report.
Why did the FBI withhold the FD-1023 from Congress?
Why did the FBI’s Washington field office conduct the raid of Mar-a-Lago, in a break from standard practice?
Why did the FBI limit the number of witnesses who investigators could contact during the Hunter Biden investigation?
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) July 10, 2023
However, Jordan has influence as the chair of the House Judiciary Committee. He intends to include ideas supporting his Huntsville proposal in legislation that would finance the federal government’s fiscal year beginning October 1, 2024.
A representative of the FBI said any budget cut would be “detrimental to the support the FBI provides to the American people.”
There are “numerous operational reasons” to remain in the D.C. area, according to the representative, including interaction with intelligence partners and proximity to the Quantico, Virginia academy.
According to the report, the FBI is dissatisfied with the 50-year-old J. Edgar Hoover Building, and the General Services Administration is searching for a new location in Virginia and Maryland for the 5,500-person building.
The Swamp always takes care of the political elite.
And leaves Real America out to dry.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) July 7, 2023
Jordan prefers that the FBI operate at the Redstone Arsenal, an Army facility where the FBI already employs over one thousand individuals.
According to the report, Jordan believes that the 700-mile distance between deep blue Washington, D.C. and deep red Alabama could insulate the FBI from liberal politics.
According to the report, three members of Jordan’s staff have visited Huntsville, which the FBI refers to as its “unofficial second headquarters.”
According to the report, the FBI has been searching for a new location since 2013, although efforts to locate a new headquarters were thwarted during the Trump administration.
The GSA said they and the FBI are “deliberately considering the input we received as part of the latest round of consultations to determine next steps on the site selection process” when it comes to locations in Maryland and Virginia.
According to the FBI, the Redstone site, which includes two intended FBI campuses, is insufficient for its requirements.
Has Merrick Garland ever asked Wray to stand down on an investigative step?https://t.co/CCkCYJjp86
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) July 10, 2023
NBC reports that FBI Director Christopher Wray will testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.