Patel grilled on shifting stance on FBI budget needs
During a recent Senate hearing, FBI Director Kash Patel faced tough questions from lawmakers regarding his shift in position on teh FBIS budget needs. This came after he requested a budget that is approximately $1 billion more than what President Donald Trump suggested for fiscal 2026. Senator Chris Van hollen noted that Patel’s request was “critically important and revealing.” Senator Patty Murray confronted Patel about his contradictory statements regarding the budget, questioning weather he disagreed with trump. Patel maintained that while he could manage with the proposed budget, he believed the FBI could achieve more with increased funding. He expressed a need for over $11 billion, but later clarified that discussions were ongoing about potential budget cuts. Murray criticized the lack of detailed spending plans submitted by Patel, calling it unprecedented and concerning.
Patel grilled on shifting stance on FBI budget needs
FBI Director Kash Patel faced pointed questions from Senate appropriators on Thursday during a hearing after he took the unusual position one day prior that he needed a bigger budget than what President Donald Trump had proposed in order to carry out the bureau’s mission.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said Patel’s request in the House on Wednesday for roughly $1 billion more than what Trump proposed for fiscal 2026 was “important and revealing.”
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) grilled the director on his remarks in the House, asking him if he disagreed with Trump.
“No, I agree that we can sustain the mission with the proposed budget, and I agree with the budget,” Patel replied. “And as I said yesterday, I believe that what I said was ‘I can do more with more.’”
Trump proposed slashing $545 million from the FBI’s operating budget as part of a broader “skinny” budget proposal he submitted to Congress on Friday.
Patel told a House Appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday that he was in talks with the Office of Management and Budget about raising the proposed figure, which Trump set at more than $10 billion.
Patel told the House lawmakers he is aiming for Congress to approve more than $11 billion for the FBI, but on Thursday he walked back that figure.
“We have not looked at [what jobs] to cut. We are focusing our energies on how not to have them cut by coming here and highlighting to you that we can’t do the mission on those 2011 budget levels,” Patel said Wednesday.
Murray observed that Patel had not submitted any details about his spending plans to the Senate committee, which she called “insufficient and deeply disturbing.”
PATEL AT ODDS WITH WHITE HOUSE OVER FBI BUDGET PROPOSAL
“You can operate without a budget?” Murray asked.
“I never said that,” Patel replied.
Murray replied that the lack of information was “unprecedented.”
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