President Trump campaigned on moving tens of thousands of federal workers outside the “Washington Swamp.”

Chris Edwards and Tad DeHaven warn in a new piece that “Moving agencies elsewhere would reduce DC traffic jams, but we’re skeptical it would save any money. And we’re concerned that such efforts would distract policymakers from the more important task of cutting agencies to tackle exploding debt.”

Additionally, federal relocation would impose new costs for logistics, leasing, and construction. It would be more difficult for congressional committees and the White House to oversee agencies and meet with agency officials if they were spread across the country. Federal decision-making would be slowed. A major relocation effort would create a new battlefield in Congress.

“We appreciate efforts to drain the DC swamp, but the way to do that is not by strategic withdrawal but by strategic shrinking,” the authors conclude.

You can read the full piece here. If you would like to speak with Edwards or DeHaven, please contact pr@​cato.​org to set up an interview.