FBI Director Kash Patel said during a May 7 Congressional hearing that the bureau needs more funding than the amount included in a budget proposal put forward by President Donald Trump, which would slash over half a billion dollars from the agency’s budget.
During the House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing, Patel was asked by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) about the $545 million in spending cuts to the FBI in Trump’s “skinny budget” proposal for fiscal year 2026. Patel surprised DeLauro and other Democrats on the panel by expressing disagreement with the budget cuts put forward by the White House.
