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3mo ago

FBI Director Faces Bipartisan Scrutiny Over Reversal on Budget Cuts and Missing Spend Plan

Kash Patel now supports the White House’s proposed $10.1 billion FBI budget but faces criticism for failing to submit the required FY2026 spending blueprint.

FBI director Kash Patel testifies during a House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies budget hearing on the Fiscal Year 2026 Request for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel testifies before the House Appropriations Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 07, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Overview

  • FBI Director Kash Patel reversed his stance, endorsing the White House's $10.1 billion budget proposal after initially requesting $11.2 billion to avoid workforce reductions.
  • Patel warned Congress earlier that the proposed $545 million cut could lead to the elimination of 1,300 positions within the FBI, a claim he later downplayed as nuanced.
  • Senators from both parties criticized Patel for failing to deliver the legally required detailed FY2026 spend plan, with Senator Patty Murray calling the omission 'insufficient and deeply disturbing.'
  • The White House's proposed budget aims to cut FBI funding by 5%, focusing on counterintelligence and counterterrorism while reducing non-law enforcement missions and D.C. headquarters overhead.
  • Patel confirmed plans to relocate over 1,000 FBI positions from Washington, D.C., to field offices nationwide to address threats more effectively.