Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Virginia makes FBI headquarters pitch
SPRINGFIELD, Va. — Virginia’s political leaders made their case Wednesday for moving the FBI’s headquarters from the nation’s capital to the state, arguing that the federal government would be wise to follow the steps of Amazon and other big companies that have come to the commonwealth.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and nearly every other political leader from northern Virginia held a news conference in Springfield, one of three sites under consideration to replace the crumbling J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C.
The other two sites are in Maryland. Budget documents estimate that roughly 7,500 jobs are tied to the new facility.
Maryland officials have argued that equity concerns should push the General Services Administration to pick one of the two sites in their state’s Prince George’s County, which has a majority-Black population.
Virginia’s speakers pushed back on that assertion, noting that the Springfield region of Fairfax County, Va., also has a majority-minority population and that the region as a whole has a large international community.
Warner said it would behoove the FBI to come to northern Virginia to take advantage of its internationally diverse workforce.
“In prior times … you could generally spot an FBI guy right away. And it’d generally be a white guy in a white shirt,” he said. “We need to make sure that we have a diverse workforce.”
Youngkin touted the state’s momentum in getting corporations such as Amazon, Boeing and Raytheon to locate headquarters in Virginia in recent years.
“We have a robust infrastructure. We have business-ready sites. We have a world-class education system. We have a vibrant and diverse workforce,” he said.