Duckworth, Durbin Urge GSA to Uphold Duty to Properly Maintain Dirksen Courthouse & Roszkowski Courthouse

Duckworth, Durbin Urge GSA to Uphold Duty to Properly Maintain Dirksen Courthouse & Roszkowski Courthouse

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent a letter to the General Service Administration (GSA) urging the Administration to address ongoing maintenance and infrastructure issues at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse and the Stanley J. Roszkowski U.S. Courthouse, both within the Northern District of Illinois (NDIL). The conditions at the Dirksen Courthouse in particular reflect longstanding deficiencies resulting from a significant and unresolved backlog of deferred maintenance projects. This issue has not been sufficiently addressed and continues to disrupt daily courthouse operations.

The Senators wrote, "The Dirksen Courthouse experiences recurring water leaks, ceiling deterioration, unreliable lighting, and related infrastructure failures. These problems reflect unaddressed maintenance needs and impact daily courthouse operations and the security of judges, staff, other building tenants, and the public. The Roszkowski Courthouse similarly has unresolved problems with water quality and lighting repairs. These issues are compounded by a backlog of pending and delayed projects, which, as of October 2025, included nearly $13.5 million in United States Marshals Service projects awaiting final approval from GSA to proceed with construction, and $660,473 in court-funded projects pending completion by GSA."

In the letter, the Senators list a number of other GSA-funded projects that remain unaddressed including: repairs to the magistrate courtroom and chambers of an NDIL Magistrate Judge in the Dirksen Courthouse, where flooding caused a ceiling collapse; replacement of lighting fixtures in four courtrooms in the Dirksen Courthouse, where burned-out fixtures cannot be replaced due to unavailable bulbs; the courthouse lobby hardening project to improve security at the Dirksen Courthouse, which was identified as the most important courthouse hardening project in the country following civil unrest; and lighting repairs throughout the Roszkowski Courthouse.

The Senators continued, "These are just some of the pressing problems with federal courthouses in Illinois that have been brought to our attention. We are unaware of any actions taken by GSA to address these problems or any proposal by GSA to resolve these problems in a timely fashion. Accordingly, we request an update from GSA on the status of these repairs within both the Dirksen Courthouse and Roszkowski Courthouse, including specific timelines, costs, and any remaining barriers to completion. Greater clarity on GSA's path forward would be helpful in understanding how these issues will be resolved in a timely manner for the safety of all who use these facilities every day."

The Senators conclude, "GSA has the critical responsibility of maintaining federal court facilities. The timely resolution of deferred maintenance projects is necessary to uphold that responsibility. To date, GSA has failed to adequately perform its role in the Northern District of Illinois and in other districts across the country. Without a rapid response and significant progress, further action may be necessary to ensure these deficiencies are addressed."

Full text of the letter can be found on the Senator's website or below:

April 27, 2026

Dear Administrator Forst:

We are writing regarding the condition of facilities at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse and the Stanley J. Roszkowski U.S. Courthouse, both within the Northern District of Illinois (NDIL).

We appreciate the General Service Administration's (GSA) continued efforts to manage and maintain these critical federal facilities. However, the conditions at the Dirksen Courthouse reflect longstanding deficiencies resulting from a significant and unresolved backlog of deferred maintenance projects. This issue has not been sufficiently addressed and continues to disrupt daily courthouse operations.

This challenge is not unique to the NDIL. As noted in May 2025 by then-Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service Michael Peters, GSA faces more than $24.4 billion in Repair and Alteration liabilities across its federally owned portfolio, including more than $8.3 billion associated with courthouses. In March 2026, the Public Buildings Reform Board estimated that the true deferred maintenance and repair backlog may be closer to $50 billion-double GSA's estimate. These figures demonstrate the scale of the backlog and the need to prioritize timely action to address the needs of courthouses in general and the Dirksen Courthouse in particular.

The Dirksen Courthouse experiences recurring water leaks, ceiling deterioration, unreliable lighting, and related infrastructure failures. These problems reflect unaddressed maintenance needs and impact daily courthouse operations and the security of judges, staff, other building tenants, and the public. The Roszkowski Courthouse similarly has unresolved problems with water quality and lighting repairs. These issues are compounded by a backlog of pending and delayed projects, which, as of October 2025, included nearly $13.5 million in United States Marshals Service projects awaiting final approval from GSA to proceed with construction, and $660,473 in court-funded projects pending completion by GSA.

Other GSA-funded projects that remain unaddressed include:

• Repairs to the magistrate courtroom and chambers of an NDIL Magistrate Judge in the Dirksen Courthouse, where flooding caused a ceiling collapse. The space remains unsafe and unusable.
• Replacement of lighting fixtures in four courtrooms in the Dirksen Courthouse, where burned-out fixtures cannot be replaced due to unavailable bulbs.
• The courthouse lobby hardening project to improve security at the Dirksen Courthouse, which was identified as the most important courthouse hardening project in the country following civil unrest.
• Lighting repairs throughout the Roszkowski Courthouse.

These are just some of the pressing problems with federal courthouses in Illinois that have been brought to our attention. We are unaware of any actions taken by GSA to address these problems or any proposal by GSA to resolve these problems in a timely fashion. Accordingly, we request an update from GSA on the status of these repairs within both the Dirksen Courthouse and Roszkowski Courthouse, including specific timelines, costs, and any remaining barriers to completion. Greater clarity on GSA's path forward would be helpful in understanding how these issues will be resolved in a timely manner for the safety of all who use these facilities every day.

GSA has the critical responsibility of maintaining federal court facilities. The timely resolution of deferred maintenance projects is necessary to uphold that responsibility. To date, GSA has failed to adequately perform its role in the Northern District of Illinois and in other districts across the country. Without a rapid response and significant progress, further action may be necessary to ensure these deficiencies are addressed.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your response and our continued coordination in resolving these concerns.

-30-