A group of moderate House Democrats is calling on the GOP majority to increase funding for the FBI at a time when many Republican lawmakers are criticizing the bureau over conduct described in Special Counsel John Durham’s report on the Trump-Russia investigation.
"The first duty of government is to protect the safety of its citizens," a letter sent by the New Democrat Coalition to House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger, R-Texas, read. "Therefore, Congress has a responsibility to sufficiently fund essential programs that empower law enforcement agencies to address the diverse set of criminal threats facing the communities we represent."
They’re asking for $569.6 million for the FBI in fiscal year 2024, to go toward "investigating extremist violence and domestic terrorism."
That’s in addition to a requested $215.9 million for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms "for preventing and responding to the gun violence plaguing American communities" and $212.1 million for U.S. attorneys across the country for prosecuting federal crimes.
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The request for boosted FBI funding comes just days after the Durham report hit senior FBI officials for showing "a serious lack of analytical rigor" toward tips they received linked to Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI’s investigation of whether former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia.
"Based on the review of Crossfire Hurricane and related intelligence activities, we conclude that the Department and the FBI failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law in connection with certain events and activities described in this report," the report stated.
It also claimed "senior FBI personnel displayed a serious lack of analytical rigor toward the information that they received, especially information received from politically-affiliated persons and entities."
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The letter, led by Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., comes as House appropriators begin the challenging task of hashing out budgets in line with the GOP’s Limit, Save, Grow Act. Narrowly passed last month, the bill would raise the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion in exchange for cutting discretionary federal spending back to fiscal 2022 levels.
Despite it being guaranteed dead on arrival in the Senate, it appears Congress is bracing for discussions about where cuts can be made and by how much. Republicans have so far pledged not to cut dollars from veterans or defense spending, leaving other programs outside of mandatory ones like Medicare and Social Security on the possible chopping block.
House Democrats’ letter, which lines up with Police Week, attacked the legislation as "partisan" and claimed if passed it would hike the threat of crime.
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"From gun violence to human trafficking to domestic and international terrorism, American law enforcement must contend with a wide array of criminal activity that threatens the well-being of our constituents," the lawmakers wrote. "It is our duty as members of Congress to make sure these brave public servants have the tools and resources to do their jobs safely and effectively.
"However, the partisan Republican budget proposal that recently passed the House would cut critical resources, exposing communities across the country to increased levels of crime."
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