FBI Director Shows Up to Budget Hearing With “No” Timeline for Budget, Walks Back His Criticism of Trump’s Plan for Big Cuts at FBI
Asked about FBI budget, Patel tells Senate Appropriations Committee: “I’m not asking you for anything at this time.”
***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks and questioning***
Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee hearing on the FY26 budget for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, grilled Director Kash Patel on President Trump’s proposed budget for the FBI, the Department of Justice’s sweeping cancellation of grants to local law enforcement, and how the FBI is focusing its resources.
In opening comments, Vice Chair Murray said:
“The FBI does really crucial work to keep our nation safe—whether it’s stopping criminal organizations, or domestic terrorists. It protects our nation’s secrets, prevents cyber attacks, keeps our children safe from harm, and a lot more. So, this is really sober work with extremely high stakes.
“And I’m concerned that instead of focusing on the incredibly important mandate—to keep Americans safe and to help impartially enforce our laws—under your leadership, Director Patel, the FBI has been weaponized to go after Americans who disagree with the President. FBI resources have been diverted away from combatting terrorism to focusing on immigration requests.
“All of this—the diverted mission, fewer resources, fewer agents, heightened politicization—is happening now under your watch, and it is, I believe, making Americans less safe.”
[LACK OF FBI SPEND PLAN AND FULL FY26 BUDGET]
Senator Murray began her questioning by pressing Director Patel on where the FBI’s statutorily-required spend plan and its full FY26 budget is.
“As Ranking Member Van Hollen noted earlier, this hearing is being held without the FBI’s fiscal year 2025 spend plan and a full budget request for fiscal year 2026. The spend plan, is required by law, it was due to Congress over a week ago, we have not yet seen it. That is really absurd. The FBI is our nation’s leading law enforcement agency, with a budget of $10.7 billion dollars—and it is critical that we understand how you are spending taxpayer dollars. So, Director Patel, when should we expect the FY25 spend plan for the FBI? Have you seen it, have you reviewed it, when will we get it?”
“I will get you an answer ma’am. I don't have a timeline on that,” replied Director Patel.
Senator Murray noted, “It was due last week, by law.”
“I understand,” said Director Patel.
Senator Murray asked for clarification, “And your answer is you just understand, you’re not going to follow the law?”
Director Patel dodged, stating: “My answer is that I am following the law, and I’m working with my interagency partners to do this and get you the budget that you are required to have.”
“And you have no timeline?” Senator Murray inquired.
“No,” stated Director Patel.
Senator Murray then asked Patel about when the full FY26 FBI budget will arrive, stating: “Well we also need a full budget request—not a single paragraph full of wild talking points that we saw with the ‘skinny’ budget proposal. We’re now having a budget hearing without a budget request. So, Director Patel, where is the FY 2026 budget request for the FBI?”
“It’s being worked on ma’am,” said Director Patel.
“Have you reviewed it? Have you approved it?” Senator Murray continued to press.
Director Patel responded, “Not yet.”
Senator Murray asked for more details, “When will you get it?”
“As soon as I can get it from my interagency partners and get it approved,” Director Patel replied.
“Six months from now?” Senator Murray pressed.
Director Patel continued to provide no details, stating: “I don’t know ma’am. I’m not going to make up a timeline.”
Senator Murray pushed back, “Well, how do we as a Congress do our budget and our work without that request and without the spend plan?”
Director Patel demurred, stating, in part: “I’m doing the best I can.”
Senator Murray emphasized, “That is insufficient and deeply disturbing. No response?”
Director Patel stated, “I have given my response.”
[PATEL WALKS BACK CRITICISM OF TRUMP BUDGET REQUEST]
Senator Murray then asked Director Patel about his apparent disagreement with President Trump’s budget request for the FBI. On Wednesday, Patel told House appropriators that he disagreed with the more than half a billion dollar proposed cut to the FBI budget that President Trump asked Congress to make in his preliminary request submitted last week. Patel told House lawmakers: “We have not looked at who to cut. We are focusing our energies on how not to have them cut by coming in here and highlighting to you that we can’t do the mission on those 2011 budget levels.” On Wednesday, Patel said the FBI actually requested an increase in the request it submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
“Well, the FBI is already down 1,900 employees since 2023 as a direct result of the Fiscal Responsibility Act. And under the Trump administration, FBI agents, analysts, linguists, cyber experts, and scientists are being asked to do a lot more in order to keep us safe. Director Patel, we all know that budget cuts will reduce the FBI’s ability to counter threats of terrorism, and it will hinder its ability to keep pace with firearm background checks, and shutter operations that combat violent crime, drugs, gangs, and transnational organized crime,” said Senator Murray. “Now, I understand that you told our House colleagues yesterday that you don’t want to reduce the FBI workforce—meaning that you disagree with what President Trump is proposing?”
“No, I agree that we can sustain the mission with the proposed budget, and I agree with the budget,” replied Director Patel—walking back his sharp criticism of the funding levels for FBI in President Trump’s proposed budget.
“That's different than what you told the House yesterday. What are you communicating to the President and the White House about what you need, and again, we don't have a budget request from you, so I'm not sure what you are asking us for,” pressed Senator Murray.
Director Patel said, “I’m not asking you for anything at this time.”
Senator Murray asked, “You can operate without a budget?”
“I never said that,” replied Director Patel.
Without further details, Senator Murray said, “Well, this is unprecedented. Ok, well, let me just go to another topic, since you are not going to answer that.”
[CUTS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT]
Senator Murray then asked Director Patel about how the FBI’s mission is affected by the sweeping cuts in funding the Trump administration has already made for its local law enforcement partners, stating: “The FBI partners with state, local, and Tribal law enforcement organizations. They provide critical intelligence and operational capabilities to combat violent crime, gangs, terrorist threats, and fentanyl trafficking—challenges that our local communities really can’t face alone. I’m going to give you an example. A few years ago, the Southeast Washington Safe Streets FBI task force worked with our Benton County and Franklin County Sheriff’s Offices, multiple Tri-Cities’ police departments, and the state corrections department to carry out one of the largest-ever drug seizures in the region’s history. Now we’ve got an administration already cutting more than $800 million in assistance in 2025 to local law enforcement organizations while proposing a half billion dollar cut for the FBI. Director Patel, can you explain to this Committee how cutting resources for our local law enforcement partner agencies the FBI relies on to help your bureau keep people safe, how do you expect the FBI and local law enforcement to do more without those significant resources they need?”
“The FBI will continue to do what it does, which is work with embedded state and local law enforcement officers in our joint terrorism task force, the street task force, and our gang task forces. Those are a priority. Those billets have been maintained. Those billets have not been reduced. And with my reorientation, reprogramming—that we've notified congress to—you will see an augmentation in the field in every single state in this country,” replied Director Patel, dodging the question in its entirety.
Senator Murray noted, “Again, we need to see the numbers and we need to see that budget from you.”
[BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM]
She continued her questioning by pressing Director Patel on whether he will maintain the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and support adequate funding for it, stating: “The FBI is really on the front lines of keeping guns out of the hands of very dangerous criminals. The NICS serves a really critical role in enhancing national security and public safety by conducting background checks, you know this. They are supported by the vast majority of American people. And I wanted to ask you this morning: will you commit to continuing to fund and run the FBI background check system?”
“Yes,” replied Director Patel.
[POLITICIZATION OF FBI]
Senator Murray concluded her questions by grilling Director Patel on how the FBI is focusing its resources: “President Trump has turned the Department of Justice into a tool to go after his perceived enemies, and many of the actions we have now seen at the FBI are alarming. The FBI has reassigned and pushed out career FBI agents for political reasons. We’ve seen fear and intimidation promoted throughout the Bureau, including by polygraphing your own staff. We’ve seen the arrest of a sitting judge in Wisconsin. During your confirmation hearing, you committed that there would be no politicization, no retribution at the FBI under your leadership. You have reportedly placed FBI employees responsible for investigation January 6th cases on leave. Is that keeping up your promise of no politicization, no retribution?”
Director Patel avoided the question, saying, “It is because that is wildly inaccurate. Let me tell you what the FBI has done since I got there…—”
Senator Murray interjected, “Well, that is not my question.”
Director Patel again demurred.
“But you have placed on leave FBI employees responsible for the investigation of January 6, that sounds political to me,” Senator Murray pressed.
“I have not placed anyone on leave who has not violated their ethical obligation or their oath to the constitution,” Director Patel said.
Senator Murray asked, “So, if they were investigating January 6, you believe they were violating an ethic obligation?”
“Nope, I think the common theme here is you putting words in my mouth and I am not going to tolerate it, nor will the men or women of the FBI,” Director Patel said.
“Well, you did place on leave an analyst responsible for investigating Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election. Is that politicization, is that retribution?” Senator Murray pushed back.
Director Patel continued to dodge the question, “No, not if she broke the law or the ethical guidelines. I don't know which case you are talking about but that’s the standard. We will hold ourselves inordinately accountable and we will not be strayed from our mission because people think we are politicizing the bureau. If you want to talk about someone who is attacked by a weaponized bureau, you are looking at him and now he's the director of the FBI and he’s cleaning it up.”
Senator Murray concluded by emphasizing: “Well, I would just say to everyone who is listening, The FBI needs to be focused on its mission to keep the entire country safe, it should not be weaponized for partisan political gain.”
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