Representative David Kustoff (R-TN-08) was the only member of Tennessee’s Republican House delegation to vote against an amendment that would have blocked the use of $375 million for a new Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters office in Maryland.
Kustoff was among 70 Republicans voting to kill Representative Mat Gaetz’s (R-FL-01) amendment to the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act of 2024. Gaetz had tried to stop the construction of the gilded FBI headquarters earlier this year.
The proposal was defeated 273-145 on Wednesday, with all Democrats joining the Republicans in killing the amendment.
The funding is part of the $1.7 trillion fiscal year 2023 omnibus spending bill.
Kustoff’s office did not return a request for comment on Saturday. The Germantown Republican posted nothing about his vote on social media, although he did promote a letter critical of the Internal Revenue Service, another federal agency targeting conservatives. Kustoff wants the IRS to explain its conduct following a report showing agents violating taxpayer rights.
Gaetz argued against the new headquarters building for an agency accused of, among other things, spying on and harassing parents who express their opposition to liberal policies at local school board meetings.
“I don’t believe that the FBI deserves a massive new headquarters or Washington field office,” the congressman said in a floor speech. “Building a new headquarters would condone, reinforce and enable the Washington field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s nefarious behavior.”
He said the FBI is asking for a building larger than the Pentagon.
GAETZ: “I don’t believe that the FBI deserves a massive new headquarters or Washington field office…building a new headquarters would condone, reinforce and enable the Washington field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s nefarious behavior." https://t.co/rJ5D5LEbVL
— Sean Hannity 🇺🇸 (@seanhannity) November 10, 2023
Representative Steve Womack (R-AK-03), who voted against Gaetz’s amendment, said Republicans are “not always going to hate the FBI.”
“I realize that there are people on my side of the aisle that don’t like some of the activities of the FBI. I’m not gonna pick an argument on that. But what I will argue is that it is bad policy for the Congress to be taking steps to deny a federal agency that is in serious need, in my opinion, of an improvement in their headquarters,” he said.
– – –
M.D. Kittle is the National Political Editor for The Star News Network.
Background Photo “FBI Headquarters” by Brunswyk. CC BY-SA 3.0.
