The Trump administration is now officially standing against proposed legislation that would shift the responsibility of managing courthouses and other relevant buildings to the Judiciary branch.
The legislation, S. 5194 or the “Judicial Space and Facilities Management Effectiveness Act of 2026” was introduced at the end of July but has yet to advance in Congress.
The General Service Administration previously warned against the bill introduced by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and has bipartisan co-sponsors, according to the Washington Reporter, but Townhall has first learned the administration sent formal opposition this week to Congress. GSA Administrator Edward Forst stated that "the Judiciary’s mission is to deliver justice—not manage buildings" – warning it could lead to higher costs and "weaken oversight."
“Unfortunately, history has proven that the Administrative Office of the United States Courts is incapable of managing its own facility operations and maintenance,” a statement obtained by Townhall from a senior GSA official explained on Friday, citing the fact that the branch has overseen the Hugo L. Black U.S. Courthouse in Alabama since the 1990s.
“In the 33 years since that delegation, the Judiciary has repeatedly proven its inability to meet even the minimal standard of management over the routine maintenance and operations of this single building,” the statement continued, saying that there were “missing” records and lack of “preventative maintenance” that could serious facility issues, including with elevators and boilers.
"Given these concerning results, it is unclear how the Judiciary would manage a much larger portfolio that could exceed 4 million square feet effectively," the statement continued.
Forst also said that “the real problem is the outdated $3.96 million prospectus threshold, which forces even routine repairs into a congressional approval process that takes 426 days on average."
"That’s why I’m leading an unprecedented effort to raise the prospectus threshold and expand access to the Federal Buildings Fund—to deliver on the President’s agenda and produce results for the American people," he added.
Durbin disagreed with the administration's decision, telling Townhall in a statement that “GSA has failed to fulfill its responsibility to provide safe, functional, and properly maintained courthouses."
"Our legislation provides the judiciary with the authority to manage and maintain its workplaces and gives Congress the ability to oversee and improve the judiciary’s efforts," Durbin added. "I’d encourage the Administration to rethink its stance against our bipartisan legislation.”