Washington region must respond to proposal to relocate government agencies

According to the Washington Examiner, House Democrat Tim Ryan has proposed decentralizing the federal government. Rep. Ryan's proposal is designed to be an economic stimulus to other parts of the country. Local officials must engage now to prevent this threat to our local economy. While relocating federal jobs might boost economies in other parts of the country, the federal government is the backbone of how we feed our families today throughout the DMV. Even folks who don't work for the federal government benefit from its presence here. The issue of decentralizing the federal government should be a priority on the agendas' of Mayor Bowser, Rep. Norton, Gov. Hogan, and Gov. McAuliffe. 

Despite the Wall Street Journal's argument that the influence of the federal government on the Washington region's economy is diminishing, even the WSJ admits that 11% of the region's workers are employed by the federal government. And that number doesn't count people who indirectly benefit from the presence of federal government, such as restaurant workers.