USDA to Sell Underused Washington Offices

Audit finds massive office space waste at USDA despite Trump's return-to-work order

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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A new inspector general report reveals that even after President Trump's directive brought federal workers back to their desks, the Department of Agriculture continues to leave massive amounts of prime Washington office space sitting idle at taxpayer expense. The report documents that across 15 USDA facilities, average daily utilization climbed from only 15% before the return-to-office deadline to just 36% afterward, with the agency's Washington headquarters operating at only one-third of design capacity.

Why it matters

The underutilized USDA buildings not only waste taxpayer money on expensive real estate, but also drive up carbon emissions from heating and cooling empty floors and pose health risks from stagnant plumbing. This episode fits a larger pattern of federal agencies struggling to shed the remote-work culture entrenched during the pandemic, despite efforts by the Trump administration to bring workers back to the office.

The details

The inspector general memo shows that even after the number of USDA employees in the office more than doubled from 1,537 to 3,745, two-thirds of the space at the agency's Washington headquarters still goes unused. On February 25, 2026, USDA Secretary Brooke L. Rollins, Deputy Secretary Stephen A. Vaden, and GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst announced the imminent return of the South Building and Braddock Place to GSA for disposal and eventual sale, with more than 85% of the South Building sitting unoccupied and saddled with a $1.6 billion backlog in deferred maintenance.

  • On February 28, 2025, President Trump's return-to-office deadline took effect.
  • On February 25, 2026, the USDA inspector general memo was released.

The players

Brooke L. Rollins

USDA Secretary.

Stephen A. Vaden

USDA Deputy Secretary.

Edward C. Forst

GSA Administrator.

Joni Ernst

Iowa Senator who has long spotlighted the issue of underused USDA offices.

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What they’re saying

“This is a long overdue move to protect American taxpayer dollars from being wasted on expensive real estate inside the Washington, D.C. area when our government should be closer to the farmers and ranchers we serve. It is simply unacceptable to put these costs on the taxpayer.”

— Brooke L. Rollins, USDA Secretary (thebeltwayreport.com)

“Even after President Trump and USDA doubled the number of employees in the office, nearly two thirds of the space is still unused. It's time to put this abandoned building on the chopping block to save millions for taxpayers and keep draining the swamp by moving federal workers closer to the people they serve.”

— Joni Ernst, Iowa Senator (thebeltwayreport.com)

What’s next

The USDA plans to formally return the South Building and Braddock Place to the GSA for disposal and eventual sale as part of a broader reorganization to shrink the agency's footprint in the Washington, D.C. area and relocate personnel to regional hubs closer to the agricultural heartland.

The takeaway

This episode highlights the federal government's ongoing struggle to shed the remote-work culture that became entrenched during the pandemic, even as the Biden and Trump administrations have pushed to bring workers back to the office. The underutilized USDA buildings not only waste taxpayer money, but also pose environmental and health risks, underscoring the need for more efficient use of federal real estate.