Representative Aaron Bean (R-FL), founder of the House Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus, has introduced the DRAIN THE SWAMP Act, a bill aimed at relocating federal agencies from Washington, D.C., to cities across the United States. Supporters argue that this move will reduce bureaucratic inefficiency, bring government decision-making closer to the American people, and cut unnecessary spending.
The bill would require that at least 30% of each executive agency’s workforce in Washington, D.C., be relocated to different parts of the country. It also seeks to limit telework options for remaining headquarters staff and directs the Office of Management and Budget to reduce federal office spaces by at least 30%. These measures aim to curb excessive government expansion and redirect resources toward more responsive and efficient governance.
Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), who leads the Senate DOGE Caucus, strongly backs the legislation. Ernst has long been a vocal critic of federal overreach and wasteful government spending. She argues that dispersing federal agencies across multiple states would enhance local economies while making government more accountable to the people it serves. Ernst stated, “The federal workforce has shown they clearly don’t want to work in D.C., and I am going to make their dreams come true.”
This initiative builds on previous Republican efforts to decentralize the federal government. In 2019, the Trump administration successfully moved the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) headquarters to Colorado, arguing that it would improve agency decision-making by placing employees closer to the lands they manage. The Biden administration reversed this decision in 2021, a move that critics saw as a step back toward centralization. The DRAIN THE SWAMP Act would prevent similar rollbacks in the future.
Bean noted, “”The swamp is thick and deep here in crazy town, and I’m here to drain it…It is time to remind Washington that our duty is to serve the American people.”
The DRAIN THE SWAMP Act is set to face debate in Congress, where Republicans will push for its passage as part of a broader effort to reform federal bureaucracy. If passed, it would mark one of the most significant shifts in government structure in decades, fundamentally changing how Washington operates and bringing governance closer to the people.
