FBI director Kash Patel arrives on the South Lawn of the White House before President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in the White House Easter Egg Roll Monday, April 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
A day after saying FBI needs more resources, Patel strikes different tone to Congress on budget plan
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday that he would make the bureau’s mission 鈥渨ork on whatever budget we’re given,鈥 striking a different tone from comments a day earlier in which he called for the agency to be funded at far higher levels than what the Trump administration had proposed.
FBI director Kash Patel arrives on the South Lawn of the White House before President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in the White House Easter Egg Roll Monday, April 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday that he would make the bureau’s mission 鈥渨ork on whatever budget we’re given,鈥 striking a different tone from comments a day earlier in which he called for the agency to be funded at far higher levels than what the Trump administration had proposed.
calls for a funding cut of about $545 million for the FBI as part of what the White House said was a desire to 鈥渞eform and streamline鈥 the bureau and reduce 鈥渘on-law enforcement missions that do not align鈥 with the priorities of President Donald Trump
Patel told lawmakers at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday that the FBI needs 鈥渕ore than what has been proposed鈥 to operate as it should and that it “can鈥檛 do the mission on those 2011 budget levels.鈥
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But on Thursday, appearing at a separate hearing of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee, he took a different stance when asked by Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland about his earlier testimony that the FBI required substantially more money than what the Trump budget plan had called for.
鈥淢y view is that we agree with this budget as it stands and (will) make it work for the operational necessity of the FBI, and as the head of the FBI, I was simply asking for more funds because I can do more with more money,鈥 he said.
He added that he would 鈥渕ake the mission work on whatever budget we’re given.鈥
