Dan Tangherlini is administrator of the General Services Administration. This post originated as a letter to GSA's stakeholders and partners. Visit gsa.gov for more.
Hello Everyone,
As we look forward to the start of a new year, we wanted to update you on GSA's budget outlook for the upcoming year. First, take a look at some of what we accomplished in 2014:
Before Congress adjourned for the year both the Senate and House passed the Fiscal Year 2015 Consolidated and Further Appropriations Act. This legislation funds the government through September 30, 2015.
The bill holds to the top line discretionary spending allocation of approximately $1.14 trillion across government. The Financial Services and General Government (FSSG) Subcommittee Allocation, which includes GSA, was cut 1.2 percent from FY14 levels.
In total, GSA's FY15 appropriation is about 1 percent below FY14 levels. These reductions largely affect the Major Repairs & Alterations account, increasing the importance for full funding of these capital investments in FY16 and beyond.
The bill provides more than $9.2 billion in funding for GSA to pay rent for our leased buildings, consolidate offices to save money, and upgrade land ports of entry to secure our borders. Specifically, the bill provides full funding for the Federal Building Fund's Rental of Space and Building Operations accounts. In addition, the bill funds a number of important projects, including the San Ysidro and Calexico land ports of entry (LPOEs), the Scotia Remediation effort, and the design of the Civilian Cyber Campus. Partial funding for the next phase of consolidation of the Department of Homeland Security at St. Elizabeths Campus was also included. Below is a list of specific projects and the FY2015 funding allotted:
- San Ysidro LPOE - $217M
- Calexico LPOE - $98M
- Scotia Remediation - $16M
- Civilian Cyber Campus - $35M
- St. Elizabeths - $144M
Funding for major repairs and alterations (R&A) took a cut of more than $439 million, and new construction was reduced $236 million. As a result, some key capital investment priorities will go unfunded.
Last year, GSA had $1.65 billion allocated in support of our capital projects. We are putting that to good use, with critical progress on projects like the DHS Consolidation at St. Elizabeths; the modernization of the Department of Commerce Herbert C. Hoover Building in Washington, DC; consolidation of the Veterans Affairs department in the Charles F. Prevedel Federal Building in Overland, MO; and expansion of the Land Port of Entry in San Ysidro, CA (to be completed with the FY15 funds). These projects will reduce agency real estate costs; sustain critical infrastructure for decades to come; improve the efficiency of vital agencies like DHS, and promote trade and commerce.
At a time when budgets continue to tighten across the federal government, GSA's mission to provide the best value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people has never been more important. Thank you for your continued support of GSA.
