DOJ Leaders Cry Foul Over Budget as House Advances Funding Cuts
The House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill, which includes a two percent cut in funding overall and a three percent cut from Department of Justice (DOJ) funding. DOJ funding is set at $36.5 billion, about $3 billion less than requested by President Biden. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is set for a 3.5 percent drop in funding.
The passage sets up a broader fight with Democrats.
GOP members view the legislation as a means to settle the score with Democrats, over the prosecution of former President Donald Trump. It particularly targets the FBI which has been a frequent target of Republican ire over the way the former president is treated amidst broader complaints of “weaponization” of federal law enforcement and the department.
“This bill prioritizes fiscal sanity and the liberties of the American people,” said House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK). “It halts the weaponization of the federal government against its citizens and enhances congressional oversight to ensure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly.”
Warnings from DOJ Leaders
The legislation prompted swift backlash from DOJ and DOJ-related organizations.
Speaking at the opening of a new gun crimes intelligence center in Cleveland, Attorney General Merrick Garland called the legislation “unacceptable.”
At the same event, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director Steven Dettelbach said the budget cuts “will threaten the closing of facilities like this.”
Also facing big cuts: U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. Funding for those would drop about 11 percent.
In a letter, National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys (NAAUSA) President Steven Wasserman wrote that even as funding was kept flat in FY 2024, many offices experienced hiring restrictions, limitations on financial awards, and limitations on professional development.
He warned that if the current budget goes through that attorneys will be forced to seek other employment, and that the “administration of justice suffers when AUSAs cannot afford to remain in their roles for more than just a few years.”
Despite the pleas and the rhetoric, it’s widely agreed that the bill as written has little chance of becoming law in the Democratic controlled Senate. However, it could give Republicans a better negotiating position.