Trump, Musk Plan to Shutter Interior Offices Nationwide, Devastating Local Economies and Abandoning Tribes

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) released the following statement regarding the General Services Administration’s (GSA) plan to shutter over 2 million sq. ft of office space used by the Department of the Interior across the country:

“The federal government exists to serve the people—not abandon them. But Trump and Musk are taking a wrecking ball to our country—slashing staff, cutting vital funding, and creating widespread chaos and economic devastation. Shuttering these physical locations goes hand in glove with DOGE’s “destroy the government” approach, and it will make their illegal cuts even more challenging to reverse. The economic fallout will ripple across America, hitting small towns and cities where federal offices are many communities’ only lifelines,” said Ranking Member Huffman.

“The impact on Bureau of Indian Affairs offices will be especially devastating. These offices are already underfunded, understaffed, and stretched beyond capacity, struggling to meet the needs of Tribal communities who face systemic barriers to federal resources. Closing these offices will further erode services like public safety, economic development, education, and housing assistance—services that Tribal Nations rely on for their well-being and self-determination. The National Park Service will lose space for boots on the ground at national monuments and parks they manage, kneecapping their ability to protect public safety and provide recreational access.

“This is nothing short of a direct attack on working people and the communities they serve. In many places around the country, the federal government keeps local businesses afloat and ensures families have stable jobs. This decision defies all logic. While the Trump administration demands a return-to-office, GSA is shutting those offices down—eliminating jobs, destabilizing local economies, and gutting essential services. The most vulnerable communities will bear the brunt of this reckless decision, and if they think we’ll stand by and watch it happen, they’re dead wrong."

BACKGROUND

New findings reveal the alarming scale of planned office closures across the Department of the Interior, particularly impacting the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and offices in Republican-held districts:

164 offices are slated for closure, dramatically reducing the Interior Department’s presence across multiple states.
25 BIA offices—over 27% of all BIA locations—will be shut down, cutting off essential services for Tribal communities and the surrounding rural communities.
60% of the square footage lost is in Republican Congressional districts, meaning many communities that depend on federal employment and services will bear the brunt of these cuts.
An Office of the Interior Department’s Inspector General in Herndon, VA, with approximately 100 employees is set to close, despite being a cost-effective alternative to the Main Interior Building (MIB) in Washington, D.C. The closure could signal another attack on the office after Trump fired the Department’s Inspector General.
34 US Geological Survey locations are listed. Many USGS locations need to be field-based to do important monitoring for things like earthquake and volcano activity. They also operate stream gauges that provide critical flood warnings for cities and towns near rivers.
33 National Park Service facilities are listed. The list includes ranger district offices, historic buildings, and museum spaces.
The biggest losses in office space for the Department of the Interior include:
- LA-1 (Scalise): 236,356 sq. ft.
- VA-10 (Subramanyam): 109,751 sq. ft.
- CO-2 (Neguse): 94,890 sq. ft.
- MA-2 (McGovern): 93,113 sq. ft.
- ID-2 (Simpson): 85,543 sq. ft.
- AZ-3 (Ansari): 77,661 sq. ft.

Democratic Members of the Natural Resources Committee Facing Major Office Losses:

Rep. Joe Neguse (CO-2): 94,890 sq. ft.
Rep. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-3): 77,661 sq. ft.
Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-2): 36,330 sq. ft.
Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26): 27,345 sq. ft.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-1): 7,648 sq. ft.
Rep. Val Hoyle (OR-4): 6,849 sq. ft.
Rep. Debbie Dingell (MI-6): 4,800 sq. ft.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (AZ-7): 4,791 sq. ft.
Rep. Sarah Elfreth (MD-3): 1,812 sq. ft.
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-3): 850 sq. ft.

Republican Members of the Natural Resources Committee Facing Major Office Losses:

Rep. Nick Begich (AK-0): 55,689 sq. ft.
Rep. Mike Kennedy (UT-3): 40,748 sq. ft.
Rep. Tom Tiffany (WI-7): 36,120 sq. ft.
Rep. Jeff Hurd (CO-3): 18,722 sq. ft.
Rep. Harriet Hageman (WY-0): 17,122 sq. ft.
Rep. Cliff Bentz (OR-2): 15,943 sq. ft.
Rep. Celeste Maloy (UT-2): 11,490 sq. ft.
Rep. Robert Wittman (VA-1): 11,281 sq. ft.
Rep. Russ Fulcher (ID-1): 6,068 sq. ft.
Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-1): 5,307 sq. ft.
Rep. Mark Amodei (NV-2): 4,760 sq. ft.
Rep. Pete Stauber (MN-8): 2,512 sq. ft.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-4): 1,250 sq. ft.

A full list of offices affected and congressional districts in which they are located is available here.

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Press Contact

Mary Hurrell
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