Ron DeSantis wants to move federal offices out of DC

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis boasts of his outsider status as he prepares for a possible presidential bid with a proposal to send federal agencies out of the nation’s capital — an idea to combat a “separate administrative state.”

DeSantis made the comment from his home state on the eve of a visit to Staten Island Monday, where he surrounds himself with law enforcement.

“Too much power has accumulated in DC, and the result is a detached administrative state that rules over us and imposes its will on us,” he told the New York Post on a trip to his hometown of Dunedin on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

“While there is a lot of work to be done to get government back in place, splitting federal agencies into other parts of the country could help lessen the negative impact of this accumulation of power,” said DeSantis, 44, a former three-term house -Member.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called for “division of federal agencies” outside the DC region because “too much power has accumulated in DC.”

The concept of sending federal agencies outside of DC, Maryland, and Virginia is not new. Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) authored legislation in 2019 that would ship 10 department headquarters out of the area.

At the time, Washington, DC had about 7 percent of the federal jobs, which actually lagged behind California. Florida ranked sixth with about 4 percent.

Such moves could spread federal generosity and position more federal employees in state areas with lower costs of living. But most federal employees are already outside of Washington, and efforts to oust bureaucratic decision-makers have not always worked.

Under the Trump administration, the Interior Department’s headquarters moved to Grand Junction, Colorado. But the Biden administration brought the headquarters back in 2021, just a year after the move was completed.

There have been several other moves to move federal agency headquarters out of DC, Maryland, and Virginia

The Interior Department moved its headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado, but 87 percent of its employees left the agency. The Biden administration brought back headquarters in 2021

DeSantis’ trip to New York comes as three recent polls showed Trump leading him

Existing workers opposed the move, with 87 percent of employees leaving the agency.

DeSantis is taking other steps towards a possible run, with former President Donald Trump regularly attacking him as “Ron DeSantimonious” and showing signs of impatience among Senate Republicans hoping he can clear some of the field.

His memoir, The Courage to Be Free, is due out on February 28, and some predict he could make a move after the Florida legislature ends in May.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley announced her decision to seek the White House days ago.

DeSentis mentioned the book and the session when asked if others would get in the race.

“You haven’t seen anything yet. This will be the most productive legislature we’ve had across the board. And I think people will be really excited,” he said.

“So that’s what we’re going to do over the next few months. If we can get beyond that, we can decide from there.’

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk