[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 181 (Thursday, October 30, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S7851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. ERNST:
  S. 3091. A bill to require the Administrator of General Services to 
dispose of certain Federal buildings, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to use a prop 
during my remarks.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, legend has it that all the halls of the 
Capitol are haunted by a demon cat. If you look closely, paw prints 
left behind by this stray spirit can be spotted outside the entrance of 
the Old Supreme Court Chamber.
  From poltergeists to apparitions of Abraham Lincoln and other dead 
Presidents, Washington has a long history of ghost stories.
  The city itself was transformed into a ghost town when government 
workers disappeared from their desks as a result of President Biden's 
lax telework policies. For years, most Agency headquarters were left 
with just a skeleton crew.
  Even after the bureaucrats were called back to work by President 
Trump, before being furloughed by the government shutdown, the 
buildings remained largely empty. Thousands of other government 
buildings are completely vacant. Thousands are uninhabited by a single 
soul in Washington, DC.
  Deserted and left in a state of disrepair for years, many properties 
have been condemned to a fate worse than death. One was described as a 
``roach-infested mold dungeon.'' Bugs were spotted crawling out of 
faucets and creeping across the floors of another. While some have been 
described as cold, gray eyesores, others are literally deathtraps. The 
drinking water in many sat stagnant for so long that it turned into a 
deadly potion of toxic metals and biohazards.
  Renovations and upgrades to make the horrifying offices habitable 
again would cost the taxpayers--and prepare, unfortunately, for a jump 
scare--$370 billion. Yes, folks, that is billion with a ``b.''
  I just don't know what possesses Washington to hold on to decaying 
properties.
  Meanwhile, around the country, other old haunts are returning from 
beyond the grave. But there is no reason to fear this zombie 
apocalypse. It is that time of year when boarded-up businesses come 
back to life as Spirit Halloween stores. It is almost spooky how fast 
these Halloween stores pop up, transforming the remains of abandoned 
buildings into a billion-dollar business. Spirit Halloween's successful 
body-snatching business model scares up a great idea for reviving the 
government's graveyard of lifeless real estate.
  Let's sell off these haunted houses to businesses that can breathe 
new life into them. That trick would be a real treat for the taxpayers 
because it would both reduce costs and bring in billions of dollars 
from monstrous sales. It is an idea only a zombie wouldn't like since 
it is such a no-brainer.
  My DISPOSAL Act would fast-track the sale of unused, unneeded, and 
underutilized government properties. Congress should embrace the 
Halloween spirit by passing this bill and let the unfurling of Spirit 
Halloween banners begin.
  Many of the properties that would be put on the market by my bill are 
in prime locations, so potential buyers should be prepared to act 
quickly before these once-in-a-lifetime sales vanish like a ghost.
  The real monster this bill is designed to slay, however, is one that 
has been lurking around Washington for way too long: our national debt, 
which now exceeds $38 trillion. That amount should scare us all into 
taking action.

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