Buddy Carter, United States House of Representatives

WASHINGTON — The State Department is attempting to push forward with a plan to construct a new Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FAST-C) at Fort Pickett in Blackstone, Virginia to conduct foreign affairs security training at a cost of $461 million instead of expanding and utilizing the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Brunswick. After demanding to see their findings, I have finally seen with my own eyes that the Obama Administration agrees that FLETC is the better option.

In 2013, the Administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) examined the proposals for training at Fort Pickett and FLETC. Since then, Congress was made aware that OMB analysts had completed a written analysis recommending that the State Department pursue its diplomatic security training at FLETC. While Congress went to many measures to see this report and view their findings, including a subpoena, OMB stonewalled Congress and failed to provide their findings while the State Department announced they would move forward with construction at Fort Pickett without justification.

After demanding to see their findings, I was finally able to view these critical documents from OMB which justify that FLETC is the better option. The OMB report reviewed construction costs, training, location and synergies, construction schedule, life support services, and provided a final opinion. The final opinion of OMB in this report recommends moving forward with construction at FLETC as opposed to Fort Pickett. The report also raises concerns that the estimated cost of the Fort Pickett site will rise beyond the estimated $461 million. This is not surprising as the original cost estimates of the Fort Pickett plan were over $950 million.

It is blatantly clear now why the Administration has been stonewalling Congress by keeping this report under wraps. The Administration clearly believed that if they kept this report a secret they would be able to move forward with a politically motivated plan that wastes hundreds of millions of precious taxpayer dollars. The truth is out now and there is no longer room for debate.

The State Department has no justification to move forward with the Fort Pickett plan and I will do everything in my power to ensure their politically motivated plan is put to a halt. The Obama Administration has found themselves that FLETC is the better option and they now need to devote their efforts and resources on training diplomatic security at FLETC rather than continuing to waste time and money with other options.