2026-08-20T09:32:40-04:00 / 福克斯新闻频道
这项拟议试点计划将允许司法部门接管多达10个联邦司法辖区的不动产管理权
作者：邦尼·朱 福克斯新闻
发布于2026年8月20日美国东部时间上午9:32
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独家报道： 负责管理美国法院大楼的机构正在反对一项将赋予司法分支更多财产控制权的新法案，理由是司法部门历来存在建筑管理不善的问题。
为大多数联邦法院大楼提供场地租赁服务的美国总务管理局（GSA）表示，该法案将允许司法部门从总务管理局手中接管多达10个联邦司法辖区内设施的不动产管理权，包括设施的维修和维护责任。
这项名为《司法空间与设施管理效能法案》的法案于7月30日由美国参议员迪克·德宾（伊利诺伊州民主党）、凯文·克拉默（北达科他州共和党）和约翰·布兹曼（阿肯色州共和党）提出。法案支持者认为，该法案有必要出台，因为总务管理局本身对司法设施的维护状况不佳。
总务管理局指出，1988年获批作为试点的建筑管理授权计划中，参与该计划的法院在承担更多设施管理责任后遭遇了高额维修成本。司法部门的记录显示，总务管理局在2004年修改了该计划，要求参与机构承担额外的维修成本，包括重大和意外维修费用，而美国司法会议于2005年投票决定退出该计划，以节省开支。
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阿拉巴马州伯明翰的雨果·布莱克联邦法院外已架设摄像机。（达纳·米克/彭博社 via 盖蒂图片社）
该机构表示，目前仅有阿拉巴马州伯明翰的雨果·布莱克联邦法院一家仍由司法部门管理。美国司法会议后来批准在特定成本限额和灾难性维修条款下，继续授予伯明翰法院委托管理权限。
据悉，该建筑状况严重恶化，拖欠的维护费用累计达5770万美元。总务管理局称，一项分析显示该建筑存在大量安全隐患，包括化学品储存不当、电梯应急电话无法使用以及消防维护系统失修等诸多问题。
“该设施独特的维修需求反映出维护管理不善，缩短了电梯、冷水机组和锅炉等昂贵关键系统的使用寿命，”该机构表示。
该机构称，尽管该法院大楼拥有管理自主权，但司法部门还是多次向总务管理局寻求复杂维修的技术援助。据该机构透露，司法部门还借鉴了总务管理局的服务合同模板，以满足自身的合同需求。
根据司法部门的记录，在总务管理局将额外的维护责任转移给参与法院后，美国司法会议于2005年9月批准终止司法部门参与该计划，“作为一项节省成本的措施”。
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2026年7月23日，华盛顿特区，美国总务管理局（GSA）总部大楼正门的大型标识。（J·戴维·阿克/盖蒂图片社）
司法部门在给福克斯新闻数字频道的一份声明中强烈驳斥了这些说法。
司法部门表示，在一场参议院听证会上，朱莉娅·S·吉本斯法官和时任参议员杰夫·塞申斯都对伯明翰法院的物业管理成果“给予了热烈赞扬”。
“那场听证会上根本没有人提及失败，事实上，时至今日，伯明翰法院的维修工作均由司法部门自行管理，无需总务管理局介入，”行政办公室的一位发言人说道。
“各法院拥有管理复杂业务运营的悠久历史，例如预算、财务和信息技术。”
司法部门还指出了当前由总务管理局管理的维护积压问题，称该问题已飙升至83亿多美元，导致联邦法院大楼不得不应对电梯故障、严重风暴损坏和饮用水不达标的问题。总务管理局也承认存在法院大楼维修和改造方面的债务。
“司法部门已经忍受了15年来持续不断的全国法院大楼维护失败。我们寻求不动产管理权只有一个原因——我们别无选择，”行政办公室的一位发言人说道。
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总务管理局表示，阿拉巴马州亨茨维尔的新美国法院大楼于2024年完工，比预算低700万美元。（美国总务管理局）
总务管理局将维护积压问题归咎于“国会授权和拨款程序失灵”，指出存在延误和资金短缺问题。该机构表示，总务管理局局长爱德华·福斯特已经为解决这一积压问题做出了前所未有的努力。
“当前的根本问题是国会的拨款和审批规则过时了，”福斯特说道。“我正在领导一项前所未有的努力，重新构想联邦建筑管理模式，提高项目门槛，并扩大联邦建筑基金的使用范围，得到了22名内阁成员和机构负责人的支持。这些变革——而非司法部门管理——才是修复和更新美国联邦设施和法院大楼所必需的。”
此外，总务管理局称，阿拉巴马州亨茨维尔的新美国法院大楼项目已于2024年顺利完工。该项目比预算节省了700万美元，配备了最先进的安保、节能和运营技术。
2026年4月2日，华盛顿特区，总务管理局局长埃德·福斯特在白宫参加一场会议期间抵达会场。（阿尔·德雷克/盖蒂图片社）
福斯特声称该机构是“联邦政府中经验最丰富、效率最高的建筑管理者”。
“美国政府问责局（GAO）的多项研究表明，拆分我们的管理模式不会让法院大楼项目更快、更便宜或质量更高。只会让项目更加分散、成本更高、问责性更差，安全性也更低，”福斯特说道。
“审判和审计结果显示，司法部门在设施的基本维护方面存在困难，未能有效利用其广阔空间，也不具备管理自有建筑所需的财务资源和专业知识，”总务管理局补充道。
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美国政府问责局另有调查发现，国会的资金限制导致了联邦建筑的维护延迟，并警告称，将不动产管理权移交给司法部门本身并不会提供额外资金，且需要具备足够的不动产专业知识。
为捍卫本部门的能力，行政办公室的一位发言人辩称，基本的设施维护与其工作息息相关。“维持一个安全、功能齐全的环境对于司法行政至关重要，”这位发言人说道。
“从拟议的试点计划开始，司法部门就有能力做出更有利于公众和法院的物业管理决策。”
邦尼·朱是福克斯新闻数字频道的突发和热点新闻撰稿人
Battle over federal courthouses erupts as GSA warns against giving judiciary more control
2026-08-20T09:32:40-04:00 / Fox News
The proposed pilot would allow the judiciary to assume real property authority for up to 10 federal judicial districts
By Bonny Chu Fox News
Published August 20, 2026 9:32am EDT
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EXCLUSIVE:The agency overseeing U.S. courthouses is pushing back against a new bill that would give the judicial branch more property control, arguing that the judiciary has a history of mismanaging its buildings.
The General Services Administration (GSA), which serves as landlord for most federal courthouse space, said the bill would allow the judiciary to assume real property authority over facilities in up to 10 federal judicial districts from the GSA, including responsibility for repairing and maintaining facilities.
The bill, the Judicial Space and Facilities Management Effectiveness Act, was introduced July 30 by U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and John Boozman, R-Ark. Proponents of the bill argue that it is necessary because the GSA itself has poorly maintained judicial facilities.
Pointing to a building-management delegation program approved as a pilot in 1988, the GSA said participating courts encountered significant repair costs after assuming greater facilities responsibilities. Judiciary records say GSA changed the program in 2004 to make participating agencies responsible for additional repair costs, including major and unforeseen repairs, and that the Judicial Conference voted in 2005 to withdraw from the program as a cost-saving measure.
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Cameras are in position outside the Hugo Black Federal Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama.(Dana Mixer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Only one courthouse, the Hugo Black Federal Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama, remained under the judiciary, the agency said. The Judicial Conference later approved continued delegated management authority for the Birmingham courthouse under specified cost limits and provisions for catastrophic repairs.
The building reportedly deteriorated significantly and accumulated $57.7 million in delinquent maintenance costs. An analysis revealed extensive safety hazards, including improper chemical storage, inoperable elevator emergency phones and poorly maintained fire protection systems, among other issues, according to the GSA.
“The facility’s unique repair needs reflect poor maintenance practices that have shortened the useful life of expensive, critical systems, including elevators, chiller plants, and boilers,” the agency said.
Despite holding autonomy over the courthouse, the judiciary repeatedly turned to the GSA for technical assistance with complex repairs, the agency said. The judiciary also relied on GSA service contract templates to assist with its own contracting needs, according to the agency.
After GSA shifted additional maintenance responsibilities to participating courts, the Judicial Conference endorsed ending the judiciary’s participation in September 2005 “as a cost-savings measure,” according to Judiciary records.
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Large lettering marks the main entrance to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) headquarters building on July 23, 2026, in Washington, DC.(J. David Ake/Getty Images)
The judiciary strongly disputed those claims in a statement to Fox News Digital.
During a Senate hearing, Judge Julia S. Gibbons and then-Sen. Jeff Sessions both “enthusiastically praised” the property management results at the Birmingham courthouse, the judiciary said.
“There simply was no suggestion of failure at that hearing, and in fact the Judiciary manages repairs in the Birmingham courthouse, with no GSA involvement, to this day,” an Administrative Office spokesman said.
“The courts have a long history of managing complex business operations, such as budgets, finances, and information technology.”
The judiciary also pointed to the current GSA-managed maintenance backlog, which it said has ballooned to more than $8.3 billion, leaving federal courthouses to cope with broken elevators, severe storm damage and undrinkable water. GSA has also acknowledged having courthouse repair and alteration liabilities.
“The Judiciary has endured 15 years of sustained failure to maintain our nation’s courthouses. We are seeking Real Property Authority for one reason—we have no choice,” the Administrative Office spokesman said.
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The GSA said the new U.S. Courthouse in Huntsville, Alabama, was completed in 2024, $7 million under budget.(General Services Administration)
The GSA attributed the maintenance backlog to a “broken Congressional authorization and appropriations process,” pointing to delays and funding shortfalls. The agency said GSA Administrator Edward Forst has already made unprecedented efforts to address the backlog.
“The fundamental issue at hand is outdated Congressional funding and approval rules,” Forst said. “I’m leading an unprecedented effort to reimagine federal building management by raising the prospectus threshold and expanding access to the Federal Buildings Fund with support from 22 cabinet members and agency heads. Those changes — not Judiciary management — are what’s necessary to remediate and renew America’s federal facilities and courthouses.”
Separately, the GSA said it successfully completed construction on the new U.S. Courthouse in Huntsville, Alabama, in 2024. The project was completed $7 million under budget and features state-of-the-art security, energy efficiency and operations technology.
General Services Administration head Ed Forst arrives during a meeting at the White House, on April 2, 2026, in Washington, DC.(Al Drago/Getty Images)
Forst claimed that the agency is “the most experienced and efficient building manager in the federal government.”
“Multiple Government Accountability Office (GAO) studies show that breaking our model apart would not make courthouse projects faster, cheaper, or better-built. It would make them more fragmented, more expensive, less accountable, and less safe,” Forst said.
“Trials and audits have shown that the Judiciary struggles with basic upkeep and maintenance of their facilities, doesn’t effectively utilize its vast space, and is not equipped with the financial resources or expertise to manage their own buildings,” GSA added.
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GAO has separately found that congressional funding constraints have contributed to deferred maintenance in federal buildings and has cautioned that transferring real property authority to the Judiciary would not itself provide additional funding and would require sufficient real property expertise.
Defending the branch’s capability, an Administrative Office spokesperson argued that basic facilities upkeep is inherently tied to their work. “Maintaining a safe, functional environment is essential to the administration of justice,” the spokesperson said.
“Starting with the proposed pilot program, the Judiciary has the capacity to make property management decisions that better serve the public and the courts.”
Bonny Chu is a Breaking and Trending News Writer for Fox News Digital
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