Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff today pressed President Trump’s Interior Secretary to reverse the closure of a Georgia water quality office.
Today, Sen. Ossoff pressed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum for answers about Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) reported decision to terminate the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Center’s lease in Norcross, Georgia.
This facility tests water quality to help ensure the safety of Georgians’ drinking water and maintains water gages that are used by local officials across the State to ensure enough water is provided to millions of Georgians every day.
“The staff at this office test water quality to ensure that Georgians don’t drink contaminated water. Senator Warnock and I have asked you not to close this office,” Sen. Ossoff said to Secretary Burgum. “No justification for such closure was offered. There’s significant public concern in Georgia about the potential impact on water quality.”
Last month, Sens. Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock urged Secretary Burgum toclarify impacts on water quality and supply following DOGE’s apparent decision, but Secretary Burgum did not respond.
Click here to watch Sen. Ossoff’s line of questioning.
Please find a transcript of Sen. Ossoff’s remarks and questioning below:
SEN. OSSOFF: “Mr. Secretary, I wrote you a letter on April 10 about an apparent effort by DOGE to close the U.S. Geological Survey office in Norcross, Georgia. This is the Water Science Center in Norcross. Plays a critical role in ensuring water quality for folks in metro Atlanta. Did you receive that letter?”
SEC. BURGUM: “I’m certain that our team did.”
SEN. OSSOFF: “I have not received a response; it’s been about six weeks. Any reason for that?”
SEC. BURGUM: “No specific reason, other than how incredibly short staffed we are as we’re trying to ramp up.”
SEN. OSSOFF: “Can you get back more promptly in the future?”
SEC. BURGUM: “Yeah, as we just said earlier, when we get, as we get, we have zero of our 16 Senate-confirmed leaders on board. First one is coming on the Tuesday after Memorial Day, and so as we get leadership team in place, I’m sure our operations will speed up.”
SEN. OSSOFF: “We need timely responses to those kinds of inquiries, Mr. Secretary, I mean the staff at this office test water quality to ensure the Georgians don’t drink contaminated water. We, Senator Warnock and I, have asked you not to close this office. No justification for such closure was offered. There’s significant public concern in Georgia about the potential impact on water quality. Am I correct that you’ve abandoned those plans or overruled the DOGE effort to close that office in Norcross?”
SEC. BURGUM: “I’m not familiar with the, when you’re saying closure. I know that we had, there was an effort to take a look at all the real estate we had, particularly the fact that we had virtually every employee in Interior was working remotely, and yet we were paying hundreds of millions of dollars in real estate bills.
“And so, I think it was reasonable that we took a look to say, do we need the real estate? But I’m not sure when you’re saying closing the office, if you’re talking about the positions or about the office lease, because I know some office leases were being considered removed, and some have been.”
SEN. OSSOFF: “Yeah, DOGE expressed its intent to close the U.S. Geological Survey Water Science Center in Norcross, Georgia. You’ve heard from me and Senator Warnock our opposition, as I mentioned, there’s tremendous public concern. Are you still planning to close that office?”
SEC. BURGUM: “We’ll certainly take this particular request under consultation, and our team will be in discussion with you and your team about that.”
SEN. OSSOFF: “Okay, well, with respect, Mr. Secretary, this is an issue that I raised about a month and a half ago with you.”
SEC. BURGUM: “Yeah, I understand that.”
SEN. OSSOFF: “So when can I expect a response?”
SEC. BURGUM: “Soon.”
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