Senator seeks to close Nancy Pelosi Federal Building in San Fran after crime forces employees to work remotely

A Republican senator on Wednesday called for the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building in San Francisco to be closed after federal employees were advised to work from home due to the area's rampant crime.

Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst recently told the New York Post that she thinks the building should be shuttered until there is no longer a "threat to public safety."

"Working at a Department of Health and Human Services building shouldn't be a risk to your health or life, but it is now due to former Speaker Pelosi and the other liberal politicians that have allowed criminal chaos to overtake the streets of San Francisco," she stated.

Ernst suggested that the displaced federal employees relocate to different government facilities in the area so that they would no longer be "fearing for their lives," the Post reported.

"If it's not safe for federal employees to work here, it certainly can't be safe for businesses to operate and families to live here," she continued. "I'm calling to shut down the Speaker Nancy Pelosi Federal Building. After all, they've already been forced to abandon it, so why should taxpayers keep the lights on in Nancy Pelosi's haunted house?"

In a Wednesday letter, Ernst urged the General Services Administration, which manages the property, to consider the closure.

"The plaza is a dangerous, open-air drug market, with addicts shooting up, snorting, and smoking drugs in plain view. Drug users pass out on the public benches and used needles litter the ground," Ernst told the GSA.

"Overdosing is 'a commonplace horror,' with nearly 150 suspected overdoses — including more than 30 deaths — on the block surrounding the federal building reported in the first half of this year," she continued. "Dozens of dealers show up daily, one of which opened fire with a gun near the building recently. While fencing has been put up, addicts and dealers still hang out around the plaza."

Ernst noted that there are at least five other federal government buildings in the Bay Area. The center is currently only using approximately 10% of its available office space, she added. The senator requested that the GSA report how many employees regularly use the building and which federal agencies have instructed staff to work remotely.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services in August advised its team to work from home "for the foreseeable future," citing the area crime crisis as a significant safety concern.

The 18-story federal building on Seventh Street and Mission contains several federal agencies, including HHS, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Democratic Representative Nancy Pelosi's office.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Pelosi has not advised her five-person team to work from home.

Aaron Bennett, a spokesperson for Pelosi, said in August, "The safety of workers in our federal buildings has always been a priority for Speaker Emerita Pelosi, whether in the building or on their commutes."

"Federal, state and local law enforcement — in coordination with public health officials and stakeholders — are working hard to address the acute crises of fentanyl trafficking and related violence in certain areas of the city," Bennett added.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Federal Protective Services has responded to the increased security threats by adding patrols. Some employees have requested to be escorted in and out of the building, the outlet added.

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