By Charles Switzer
3:37am PDT, Apr 10, 2025
Billions Spent on Furniture Amid Remote Work Reality
Testifying before the House Oversight Subcommittee on
Delivering Government Efficiency, OpenTheBooks CEO
John Hart revealed that since October 2020, the federal government has spent an astounding $4.6 billion on new furniture — even as a significant portion of its workforce stayed remote, the
New York Post reported.
"That amount can buy 9.2 million American families a modest $500 kitchen table," Hart said. He added that the funds had been used to decorate "the administrative state," raising questions about the necessity and oversight of these expenditures.
"And of course, workplaces need desks, chairs and meeting tables, and it's true that beautiful spaces can make us more productive, but beauty at what cost and on whose dime?" he asked.
Read on to get all the details about D.C.'s accessory spending spree.
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Lavish Spending Contrasts with Low Office Occupancy
Despite the expenditures, federal office usage remains limited. A 2024 report from the Office of Management and Budget showed that "more than half of federal employees were either teleworking regularly or fully remote."
The Government Accountability Office further found that 17 of 24 major federal agencies were using only 25 percent or less of their headquarters space. Though President
Donald Trump later issued an order for employees to
return to in-person work, the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down this week.
Meanwhile, Hart disclosed that $4 million was spent by USAID on furniture and cubicle systems in overseas offices including $250,000 for Herman Miller chairs in Mozambique.
He also noted, "Our embassy in Islamabad is a place where you can put your feet up thanks to 40 Ethan Allen chairs, which cost taxpayers $120,000."
Extravagant Furnishings and Art Purchases Draw Scrutiny
Beyond furniture, art purchases were another focal point. John Hart told the subcommittee that the State Department had shelled out $1.4 million for art and drawings for its global embassies. That includes $200,000 for just two abstract paintings by Alfred Jensen.
In San Francisco, the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building spent $39,000 on new conference tables, despite employees having been told to work remotely last August.
"All in all, we have an incomprehensible amount of physical space and furnishings — too much of it inefficiently procured, leased and maintained," Hart said.
He pointed to several agencies as top spenders: Defense ($1.63 billion), Veterans Affairs ($590.4 million), Justice ($555.5 million), State ($508.5 million) and the General Services Administration ($552.8 million).
DOGE Partnership Targets Wasteful Spending
Rep.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, who leads the subcommittee, underscored the importance of eliminating inefficiencies.
Her panel is coordinating with
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which recently announced plans to terminate nearly 800 federal office leases to save $500 million.
"Federal agencies shouldn't be maintaining empires at taxpayers' expense," Greene said.
Among the top contractors for the renovations were Kreuger International ($346 million), Ethan Allen ($251.6 million), Herman Miller ($119.8 million) and Price Modern ($110.8 million).
Bipartisan Goals, Partisan Disputes
Although Rep.
Melanie Stansbury acknowledged that the misuse of federal office space is "a long-standing issue," she expressed skepticism about DOGE's motivations.
"We have been deeply concerned that the entire DOGE effort has been a front to help support billionaires who are trying to privatize public services," she said, also highlighting the billions of dollars in federal contracts awarded to Elon Musk's businesses.
John Hart concluded the hearing with a sharp critique: "Today's expansive, excessive and sometimes opulent federal real estate portfolio is both a monument to the federal administrative state and a mausoleum of lost dreams, opportunity and freedom for American taxpayers," he said.
He finished with a call for
fiscal responsibility, saying, "Every dollar saved in Washington is a dream realized somewhere else in America."
