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Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) conveyed her intent on Thursday to propose a bill designed to halt new federal hiring and initiate the relocation of government agencies outside of the nation’s capital. “I will be putting forth legislation that aligns with DOGE’s objective to enhance the federal government’s efficiency,” Blackburn stated on Thursday. “My DOGE Act will impose a freeze on federal hiring, set in motion the process of relocating agencies away from the D.C. swamp, and establish a merit-based compensation system for the federal workforce.”
I will be introducing legislation that coincides with @DOGE’s plan to make the federal government more efficient.
My DOGE Act will freeze federal hiring, begin the process to relocate agencies out of the D.C. swamp, and establish a merit-based salary system for the federal…
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) December 5, 2024
Blackburn’s announcement follows her recent hosting of Vivek Ramaswamy on her podcast, Unmuted with Marsha, where they discussed strategies to curtail government waste. Ramaswamy and Elon Musk will spearhead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative.
Significant portions of Blackburn’s forthcoming legislation may draw inspiration from her previous endeavors to drain the D.C. swamp and eliminate wasteful spending.
In 2019, Sens. Blackburn and Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced the Helping Infrastructure Restore the Economy (HIRE) Act, aiming to relocate the headquarters of federal agencies to regions within the American Heartland.
“Moving agencies outside of Washington, DC, both boosts local economies and lowers costs — that’s a winning combination. This legislation would enable Americans across the country to have greater access to good jobs. Tennesseans would greatly benefit from having portions of the Department of Education in the Volunteer State. It is my hope that the HIRE Act will quickly pass the Senate,” Blackburn stated when she and Hawley introduced the bill.
BREAKING: Sen. Marsha Blackburn plans to introduce bill to freeze federal salaries and hiring until Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s Department of Government Efficiency recommendations are implemented pic.twitter.com/gPjavaxNCN
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 26, 2024
One study found that relocating agencies in the Agriculture Department would save $300 million over 15 years. The report also suggested that moving agencies outside D.C. could result in cost savings by decreasing employee attrition.
The HIRE Act proposed relocating the headquarters of the Agriculture Department to Missouri, the Education Department to Tennessee, and eight other agencies to economically disadvantaged areas across various states.
