The 2026 budget proposal released on Friday calls for a funding cut of more than USD 500 million for the FBI

AP Washington

FBI Director Kash Patel broke with the Trump administration on Wednesday over a budget proposal that would dramatically slash funding for the bureau, telling lawmakers, "We need more than what has been proposed."

The 2026 budget proposal released on Friday calls for a funding cut of more than USD 500 million for the FBI as part of what the White House said was a desire to "reform and streamline" the bureau and reduce "non-law enforcement missions that do not align" with the priorities of President Donald Trump. He warned that such a cut would be harmful for the FBI as it reorients priorities to focus on violent crime.

Asked to specify at a House Appropriations subcommittee which positions would need to be cut if the funding reduction was implemented, Patel replied: "At this time, we have not looked at who to cut. We are focusing our energies on how not to have them cut by coming in here and highlighting to you that we can't do the mission on those 2011 budget levels."

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, pressed Patel for details, saying, "This is your budget. You have to have some idea of what you want to fund or not fund, or where you can cut or not cut, and provide that information" to the Office of Management and Budget.

"That's the proposed budget - not by the FBI," Patel replied. "The proposed budget that I put forward is to cover us for USD 11.1 billion, which would not have us cut any positions." Patel also defended the FBI's plan to relocate about 1,000 FBI employees from the Washington area to cities around the country, one of the first initiatives he revealed upon being sworn in as director in February.