Heather Curtis

WMAL.com

WASHINGTON — (WMAL) Construction of a new FBI headquarters took a huge step forward Wednesday. Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski, who serves as vice chairwoman of the Senate appropriations committee, led an effort to earmark $390 million in a $1 trillion federal spending bill as a down payment for a new FBI headquarters.

“It [the FBI] needs to move out of the Hoover building because it’s dated, dysfunctional and even dangerous,” Mikulski said.

She and the entire Maryland delegation want all of the FBI’s buildings to move to one location in Prince George’s County, instead of having them spread out at 40 different places in the D.C. Metro area like they are now. Spots in Greenbelt and Landover are being considered along with one in Fairfax County, Virginia.

“We are the only state with the land, the Metro stops and, quite frankly, a lot of other moxie to get this done,” Mikulski said.

She added that 43 percent of FBI employees in the D.C. metro area live in or near Prince George’s County.

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker has been pushing hard for his county to get the new FBI headquarters. He thanked the entire Maryland delegation for helping get this money included in the federal budget.

“Certainly, Senator [Ben] Cardin who from day one that I became county executive looked for ways to help, and this was one of the biggest deals we said we wanted to go after. At that time it seemed like a pipe dream, quite honestly, with all that was going on, but we came together as a team, and thanks to Senator Cardin we’re where we are today,” Baker said.

Mikulski wouldn’t say whether getting the money will make it more likely that Prince George’s County will be chosen as the FBI’s new home. The new location will be announced in November of 2016.

(Photo: Heather Curtis)