Latest / The Fiscal Policy Podcast with Fexingo: Government Budgets, Stimulus, and Public Spending
The Billions Wasted on Empty Federal Office Space
The federal government spends over $2 billion each year on office space it doesn't use. With vacancy rates topping 30% at some agencies, why does the government keep paying for empty desks and unused cubicles? This episode unpacks the perverse incentives in the General Services Administration's leasing system, the role of congressional earmarks in locking agencies into long-term leases, and the cost of failing to downsize the federal footprint. Using a 2025 GAO audit as a starting point, Lucas and Luna trace how a fragmented bureaucracy and a 'use it or lose it' budget…
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