FBI HQ Relocation: Maryland Edges Out Virginia to Play the Security Card

Well, that didn't take long. Barely two days after the GSA announced it had snatched the new FBI HQ prize away from Maryland, a gentleman from Maryland has pointed out a certain security vulnerability with the Reagan Building.

“I think there are enough Republicans who don’t want to put the safety of the men and women of the FBI at risk,” [Maryland Senator Chris] Van Hollen said. “The reason that the three prior sites were under consideration was because they all met the security and setback requirements to ensure the safety of the men and women at the FBI. It was determined years ago that in order to ensure their safety now into the future, you needed a campus like the CIA has at Langley, like the NSA has out at Fort Meade.”

See the WTOP news story here, Maryland delegation vows to fight FBI’s move to new DC location ‘with every tool we have’ 

So long as the physical security interests of the FBI align with the financial interests of Maryland political players, we can depend on having some elected officials taking up the security banner. So public spirited of them! 

Well played, Van Hollen. There is a whole lot of development money in this pot, and the security card might just be a winning hand. 

Virginia Senator Mark Warner, how are you going to come back from this?