Patel asks appropriators to ignore Trump's proposed cuts to FBI budget

FBI Director Kash Patel said the Trump administration’s budget request wouldn't be sufficient to fund the agency, asking appropriators to reject a more than $500 million proposed cut in favor of an increased budget.

It was an admission that caused momentary confusion with Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who appeared thrown off by Patel’s rejection of the requested budget.

“The skinny budget is a proposal, and I'm working through the appropriations process to explain why we need more than what has been proposed,” Patel said.

Appropriators are used to hearing administration officials defend their budget — proposals that are nonetheless often swiftly rejected by Congress.

But Patel said he did not back the proposed cuts — some $545 million the administration said would be “reducing non-law enforcement missions that do not align with the President’s priorities.” 

In initial questioning, DeLauro asked Patel what positions he planned to cut given the drop in spending.

“With a half billion dollar cut — more than 5 percent below the hard freeze of the FBI operating budget, you believe that then this would not impact enforcement or national security related functions? Then what are the positions? I'm going to ask the question again, what positions are you looking to cut? …This is your budget. You have to have some idea of what you want to fund or not fund, or where you think you can cut or not cut,” she said.

But Patel later said it was not the top line the FBI proposed, instead proposing to keep funding more in line with current levels.

“That's the proposed budget, not by the FBI,” he said of the cuts. “The proposed budget that I put forward is to cover us for $11.1 billion, which would not have us cut any positions.”

Patel said if the cuts were approved, he would be forced to cut 1,300 positions from the agency “if we go along with the budget that's out.”

Under the blurb included in the skinny budget, the Trump administration said the cuts would include “include DEI programs, pet projects of the former administration, and duplicative intelligence activities that are already effectively housed in other agencies.”

Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) said he was relieved to hear that Patel did not back the cuts proposed by the White House.

“I appreciate what you said about the budget issue, because if you're saying you think you need more than what the skinny budget is giving, I strongly agree. I was really concerned to see the $540 million plus cut to the FBI. And the rationale was that it was going to be, you know, DEI, school board meetings and gender ideology, and there's not a half a billion dollars worth of cuts related to that, regardless of how one might feel about whatever those issues were,” he said.

But Patel said he plans to send 1,000 agents in the D.C. area — not exclusively those at headquarters — into field offices across the country. 

“We need some of those field operatives out in the field. You need some of those intelligence analysts out in the field. We need their expertise in your states and your counties, your towns, because the threats to this country in 2025 is everywhere, and we cannot quarterback that mission from Washington, D.C., alone,” he said. 

“We will remain here in Washington with the cadre we need to support the field offices — absolutely, but we need to bold our efforts.”