Washington-area lawmakers vie for Homeland Security headquarters

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., called on the Bush administration Wednesday to locate the headquarters for the new Homeland Security Department in Washington.

Norton's move came amid signs the White House may be considering whether to base the new agency in the Washington suburbs.

The department's location will have a critical effect on Washington's economy, Norton said at a press conference with Washington Mayor Anthony Williams. The department will absorb anywhere from 15,000 to 18,000 federal employees who now work in Washington, and moving these workers to the suburbs could damage the city, she said.

"When federal jobs leave the District, D.C. residents who hold these federal jobs often leave as well to be closer to their jobs, thus accelerating the loss of taxpayers," said Norton. "We believe that this calculus must become part of the decision-making process."

Politicians from Washington, Maryland and Virginia are all touting their jurisdictions as the best home for the new department. On Tuesday, Sen. George Allen, R-Va., wrote President Bush and Homeland Security Secretary-designate Tom Ridge urging them to base the new department in Virginia.

Allen noted that Virginia is home to several government contractors that will play a key role in supporting the new department. "Already I have met with dozens of dozens of firms eager to lend their talents," he wrote.

Officials in the White House and General Services Administration are leading the search for the location of the headquarters. The Washington Post has reported that GSA has issued requirements for the new site calling for an "office park" setting, which would likely not be found in the city of Washington.

Norton has said the campus of the old St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Southeast Washington would be a good site to build a headquarters for the new department. The federal government owns that property.