Kash Patel supports Trump's FBI budget proposal after House testimony

FBI Director Kash Patel on Wednesday said he fully backed the Trump administration's proposed FBI budget after testifying to a House panel.

"As I said today during my testimony, I am in full support of President Trump’s budget, which fully funds the FBI and its critical mission. Any suggestion to the contrary is wrong and dishonest," Patel said following the hearing before the House Appropriations Committee.

The proposal, introduced last Friday, would cut the FBI’s budget by $545 million as part of President Donald Trump's plan to slash government spending by $163 billion.

"We cannot cover down on the mission at the levels that we would have to go to, which would be the 2011 levels, should all the budget cuts you just outlined be implemented," Patel said during his testimony.

Patel also urged the panel to approve a budget that would combat what he described as increased levels of crime and terrorism across the country. 

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Since Trump took office earlier this year, "the FBI has made over 6,000 immigration-related arrests, 310 arrests of TdA (Tren de Aragua) members and 136 arrests of MS-13 members," according to an FBI statement.

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The budget cut was intended to streamline the bureau by reducing overhead in Washington, D.C., according to the White House proposal.

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It also would eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs as well as "pet projects" from the former Biden administration, as they "do not align with the president’s priorities," the budget proposal added.

"The threats we face as a nation have never been greater or more diverse, and the expectations placed on the FBI have never been higher," the FBI statement continued. "With the requested resources, the FBI will have the talent, tools, and authorities to do more to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution."

EDITOR'S NOTE: This report has been updated to add response from Patel following his testimony.