Leases Trump and Elon have said they are terminating include office where Yakama Nation members can get in-person assistance from BIA staff; Service centers in Puyallup, Renton, and Dayton where farmers can get in-person assistance on USDA programs; SBA office in Seattle, and much more
Leases Trump and Elon are threatening to offload include Jackson Federal Building in Seattle that houses Social Security and VA offices where people can get in-person help with benefits; Vancouver Federal Building where taxpayers can get IRS assistance; and much more
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following fact sheet on the Trump administration announcing lease terminations of critical federal offices and agencies in Washington state and threatening to potentially offload many others, including the Jackson Federal Building in downtown Seattle.
Senator Murray also released the following statement:
“Two billionaires with no clue what the federal government does are right now pushing to sell dozens of federal properties in Washington state—with absolutely zero consideration for how it will hurt the people who rely on the services provided from these buildings.
“Thoughtlessly selling off these properties will mean veterans in Seattle won’t have an office to go to for help navigating their benefits and eligibility, taxpayers in Southwest Washington will have fewer options for in-person help on their taxes, members of the Yakama Nation won’t have a local Indian Affairs office they can walk into—to name just a few examples.
“Trump and Elon are rich enough that they’ve never had to rely on any of the services the federal government provides and they have no idea what it’s like for people who do—they’re just trying to break government and enrich themselves, and they don’t give a damn about the consequences for regular people.
“I am demanding answers from the Trump administration on what exactly their plans are—right now it is far from clear—and I am pressing for information on how they will ensure continuity of service for the millions of Washingtonians who rely on the services provided in these federal offices and buildings.”
FACT SHEET: The Trump administration has, without providing advance notice and justification to Congress as is required by law, said they are terminating the following leases of federal agencies’ offices and buildings in Washington state:
KING & PIERCE COUNTIES:
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (Department of Health and Human Services), Region 10 Office in Seattle (701 5th Ave): The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has 10 Regional Offices, which serve as the agency’s state and local presence. Regional field staff work closely with Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, health care providers, state governments, CMS contractors, community groups, and others to provide education and address questions—for example, under the last administration, the regional teams conducted a lot of outreach around expanded health care and prescription drug benefits in the Inflation Reduction Act. Region 10 is based in Seattle and serves the entire populations of the states of Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho.
- Note: the CMS Region 10 Office is no longer listed on DOGE’s wall of receipts for lease terminations but was listed previously.
Small Business Administration, Main District Office, Seattle (2401 4th Ave):
This office is open to the general public and small businesses and is a place they can go for help including starting a business, applying for an SBA loan, obtaining federal grants, getting disaster assistance, and much else. This office serves nearly all of Washington state—with the exception of Clark, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum and Skamania counties, which are served by the Portland District Office—as well as 10 counties in Northern Idaho. The SBA also has an office in Spokane. According to SBA federal data, in 2024, the Seattle District Office in 2024 approved $117 million in 504 program loans for small businesses to finance real estate purchase or renovations, and over $965 million in 7(a) program loans, which provide small businesses with working capital. About $1.4 million in microloans were approved in Washington state, and the average microloan size nationwide was about $16,000. In the aftermath of a November bomb cyclone that caused millions of dollars in damage in the Seattle area, the SBA opened federal assistance applications for homeowners and businesses. Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced it would shutter the Seattle regional office because of Seattle’s protections for immigrants.
Government Accountability Office, Seattle (701 Fifth Avenue): GAO, often called the “congressional watchdog,” is an independent, non-partisan agency that works for Congress. GAO examines how taxpayer dollars are spent and provides Congress and federal agencies with objective, non-partisan, fact-based information to help the government save money and work more efficiently. In its Seattle office, GAO examines federal spending related to Coast Guard, energy programs, aviation, and the Department of Defense, among other issues. Their lease through GSA in the Columbia Tower ends December 2025. They were planning with GSA to move to the Jackson Federal Building to optimize their footprint in a secure federal space at taxpayer savings, but GSA put those plans on hold. GAO’s work yielded $67.5 billion in financial benefits for the federal government in FY 2024—a return of $76 for every dollar invested in it—as well as over 1200 improvements to federal operations and performance.
National Park Service (Department of the Interior), Seattle Unit, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (319 2nd Ave S): The Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park in Seattle’s Pioneer Square Historic District features a museum, visitor center, and ranger activity area to tell the story of the Klondike Gold Rush and the growth of Seattle during that time. Rangers here also staff an info desk at the REI flagship store. There is a sister park about the Klondike Gold Rush in Skagway, Alaska. This lease agreement was extended to 2030, making this lease termination likely illegal. 65,000 visitors come to the museum each year.
- Note: the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park is no longer listed on DOGE’s wall of receipts for lease terminations but was listed previously.
Wage and Hour Division, Tacoma (949 Market Street): The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) helps protect workers and enhance the welfare of Washington state’s workers through outreach, education, and enforcement—providing workers and employers information to ensure that workers know their rights, and employers understand their responsibilities regarding federal laws enforced by Wage and Hour. This office is mainly used by Department of Labor investigators who spend time conducting investigations in the field and use the office as a work station.
Natural Resources Conservation Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture), Puyallup Service Center (1011 E Main) and Renton Service Center (941 Powell Ave SW): The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical and financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and landowners to help conserve natural resources, soil, water, and wildlife habitats. These service centers work with landowners, communities, developers, states, local governments, and Tribes to improve natural resources, reduce erosion, degradation, and flood damage, improve water quality, protect and restore watersheds, manage agricultural waste, and provide technical assistance to help producers and communities meet their conservation and business goals. Many NRCS service centers are co-located with Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Rural Development (RD) staff, so people who come to the service centers can also get in-person assistance from USDA staff with FSA and RD programs as well.
NRCS service enters accept walk-in meetings and provide in-person assistance for farmers, producers, and forest landowners, who can make appointments to get assistance with USDA programs. These service centers are also a working space for staff. The most common USDA programs that people reach for assistance with are the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program, an emergency recovery program that helps local communities recover after a natural disaster strikes.
OLYMPIA/OLYMPIC PENINSULA:
NOAA (Department of Commerce), Port Angeles Office (115 E Railroad Ave): The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary’s main office is located at the Port Angeles Wharf in Port Angeles, WA. The office employs 13 NOAA employees who work across various disciplines related to preservation, conservation, and research in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, one of North America’s most productive marine ecosystems.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (Department of Transportation), Olympia (724 Columbia Street NW): This is the Washington Division field office for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which regulates and provides safety oversight for commercial motor vehicles like large trucks and buses. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) requires intercity bus providers to register with FMCSA for authorization to interline with other private carriers, similar to federal requirements for interstate transportation services. WSDOT’s coordination with the FMCSA Washington office has been key to securing federal grants, including an FMCSA grant to outfit 11 rest areas and eight stations along I-5, and a grant that funds one employee through FY27 that WSDOT is working with FMCSA to extend. WSDOT also partnered with FMCSA on their Truck Parking Information Management System (PTIMS) project to help address freight parking challenges, including potentially installing PTIMS technology on I-90 where parking challenges have led freight trucks to dangerously park overnight on on/off-ramps and on the shoulders of the Interstate.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture), Olympia (720 Oleary St NW): The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) protects American agriculture from pests, disease, and invasive species while promoting trade and animal welfare. Some of their most extensive programs include the National Milk Testing Strategy, which facilitates comprehensive H5N1 surveillance of the nation’s milk supply and dairy herds, and the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program, which strengthens U.S. livestock disease preparedness through funding and training.
CENTRAL AND EASTERN WA:
Bureau of Indian Affairs (Department of the Interior), Yakama Agency, Toppenish (401 Fort Rd): Members of the Yakama Nation can get in-person assistance in this office, which helps to helps to ensure the federal government’s trust responsibilities to the Yakama Nation are fulfilled through the provision of direct services through the Department of the Interior. This includes natural resource management (e.g. livestock management, water and forestry resources, environmental protection), social services (e.g. financial management, assistance on Indian Child Welfare Act cases, providing General Assistance funding), recordkeeping, and administrative assistance—including Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, technical assistance, 638 contract administration, records management, local contact for government-to-government consultation, and IT services.
Drug Enforcement Administration, Yakima (2812 Terrace Heights Dr): The Drug Enforcement Administration works with federal, state, local, and Tribal partners to enforce controlled substances laws and regulations to keep our communities safe from public health threats like fentanyl and methamphetamine. There were six positions, including federal law enforcement officers, in this “resident office” as of April 2024.
Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, Richland (303 Bradley Blvd): The Hanford Resource Center provides assistance to claimants and potential claimants of benefits under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA).
U.S. Geological Survey (Department of the Interior), Washington Water Science Center – Upper Columbia Field Office, Spokane Valley (11103 E Montgomery Dr)
This center helps collect, analyze, and disseminate hydrologic data and information to help manage water resources in the Northwest. This includes groundwater, surface water, water quality, and aquatic ecosystems. Their work helps protect endangered salmon and steelhead, ensure dam operators have the information needed to operate safely, and protects farmers and their crops.
Natural Resources Conservation Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture), Dayton Service Center (531 Cameron St): The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical and financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and landowners to help conserve natural resources, soil, water, and wildlife habitats. These service centers work with landowners, communities, developers, states, local governments, and Tribes to improve natural resources, reduce erosion, degradation, and flood damage, improve water quality, protect and restore watersheds, manage agricultural waste, and provide technical assistance to help producers and communities meet their conservation and business goals. Many NRCS service centers are co-located with Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Rural Development (RD) staff, so people who come to the service centers can also get in-person assistance from USDA staff with FSA and RD programs as well.
NRCS service enters accept walk-in meetings and provide in-person assistance for farmers, producers, and forest landowners, who can make appointments to get assistance with USDA programs. Service centers are also a working space for staff.
Forest Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture), Ranger Station, Pomeroy (71 W Main St): This is a ranger station for the Umatilla National Forest. Rangers play a crucial role in protecting natural resources and managing public lands, encompassing tasks like fire prevention, law enforcement, and public support like trails maintenance, patrol duties, and other safety measures.
In addition, the Trump administration has identified a number of buildings in Washington state as “not core to government operations,” indicating it plans to offload these buildings—before abruptly deleting the list. The website now says an updated list is “Coming soon”; the Trump administration has refused to respond to repeated requests for information about the future of these buildings. The buildings listed as “Non-Core Property List” include:
The Henry M. Jackson Federal Building in Seattle (915 2nd Ave) houses many offices and services, including the below (not a comprehensive list). It is the largest federal office building in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
Note: According to a GSA fact sheet from 2020, 1,900 people work out of the Jackson Federal Building—more recent numbers were not readily available.
- Social Security Administration: This office provides in-person help, by appointment, for people navigating their Social Security benefits, including retirement, disability, survivors, and family benefits.
- Veterans Affairs: The VA Seattle Regional Office provides a wide variety of services to help veterans navigate their benefits and eligibility, including for education, health care, pensions, memorials, and job training. VA staff provide outreach to veterans who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, and former prisoners of war. The Seattle Regional Office also houses Veterans Service Organizations such as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and more.
- Internal Revenue Service: The Seattle IRS office houses a number of critical services including the Taxpayer Advocate Service, Automated Collection System, and Accounts Management. At their Taxpayers Assistance Center, taxpayers can receive in-person help for a wide range of things including making payments, setting up installment agreements, assisting preparers with returns, obtaining forms, addressing missing refunds, correcting mistakes in paperwork, getting questions answered, and more.
- U.S. Coast Guard: The District 13 office is the official Coast Guard headquarters for Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.
- National Labor Relations Board (NLRB): Individuals can file a petition for an election or a charge with the office. The Office in Seattle is the main office for Region 19 of the NLRB, which serves areas in Washington, Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana and prosecutes labor law violators.
- Department of Education: The Office of Civil Rights in Seattle enforces federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination for schools and covers the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Hawaii, and Nevada.
The Seattle Federal Office Building (909 1st Ave) is across the street from the Jackson Federal Building. Built in 1933, it is on the National Register of Historic Places. GSA recently completed a $25 million exterior restoration project to preserve this historic art deco building, which included replacing the brick façade and more than 700 windows. GSA also recently completed a $13 million dollar project to consolidate and build-out new HUD/Department of Labor office space.
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): This office has jurisdiction over charges from Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. The vast majority of EEOC’s work here is the enforcement unit—investigators, supervisors, and support staff who are responsible for enforcing federal civil rights laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability or genetic information. Individuals can schedule an appointment with the office and receive assistance with inquiries regarding filing charges. Approximately 40 people work out of this office who help enforce workers’ rights. What is particularly troubling is that to change the jurisdiction of an office, the EEOC must hold a Commission vote—however, Trump fired two of the EEOC Commissioners, so the EEOC is currently without a quorum.
- Housing and Urban Development (HUD): The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Region 10 office—which supports Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho—is headquartered here and is co-located with its Seattle Field Office. HUD is required by statute to have at least one field office in each state. Approximately 135 staff, work out of this office and serve as the first point of contact for community concerns regarding HUD, including rental assistance programs, community development and homeless assistance, Tribal housing programs, and enforcement of fair housing laws.
The 1202 Building in Seattle (4735 E Marginal Way S) is home to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers offices serving the Pacific Northwest. The property underwent a $72 million modernization in 2009.
The Vancouver Federal Building (500 W 12th St) houses the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center, where taxpayers can get in-person assistance and help with questions regarding their taxes. The office serves Skamania, Wahkiakum, Clark, and Cowlitz counties. The building also houses outposts of the federal bankruptcy court and the U.S. Treasury.
The Bonneville Power Administration Headquarters in Portland (905 NE 11th Ave) serves as the headquarters for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which employs hundreds of people in Washington state. Most of BPA’s corporate employees work out of this building including all power and power marketing operations.
FDA’s Pacific Regional Laboratory Northwest in Bothell (22201 23rd Dr SE). The FDA ensures the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines, biological products, medical devices, food, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. The success of FDA activities to protect the public’s health often depends on the ability of the Agency’s laboratories to quickly and accurately analyze samples. To prevent the distribution of a product that has been found to be in violation of the law or has foodborne pathogens, FDA uses its nationwide network of laboratories to analyze samples and report results for regulatory action.
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