Senators Grill FBI Director Over Missing Budget Details

FBI Director Kash Patel faced intense criticism Thursday after appearing before a Senate budget hearing without providing lawmakers with a complete budget request or spending plan for the agency. The contentious exchange highlighted growing friction between the bureau and congressional overseers as Patel, a Trump loyalist confirmed just months ago, navigates his first budget process amid efforts to reshape the nation’s premier law enforcement agency.

Democratic lawmakers expressed astonishment that Patel arrived without basic financial documentation required by law, with Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) leading the charge by demanding to know when the FBI planned to comply with statutory obligations. The hearing came just a day after Patel abruptly reversed course on public comments suggesting the White House’s proposed budget for the bureau was insufficient.

Required Budget Documentation Missing

“As ranking member Van Hollen noted earlier, this hearing is being held without the FBI’s fiscal year 2025 spend plan and a full budget request for fiscal year 2026,” Murray told Patel, according to Raw Story. “The spend plan is required by law. It was due to Congress over a week ago. We have not yet seen it. That is really absurd.”

When pressed on when lawmakers could expect to receive the legally mandated spending plan, Patel offered no specific timeline. “I’ll get you an answer, ma’am,” he responded. “I don’t have a timeline on that.”

The exchange reflected broader Democratic concerns about transparency and accountability at the FBI under Patel’s leadership. Murray also demanded that when the bureau does produce a budget, it should be “a full budget to Congress, not a single paragraph full of wild talking points that we saw with the skinny budget proposal.”

Shifting Positions on Budget Needs

The hearing came amid conflicting signals about the FBI’s financial needs. On Wednesday, Patel had told a House panel that he was actively working to secure more funding than what had been proposed in the White House budget, saying he was explaining to both the White House and Congress “why we need more than what has been proposed in that budget,” as reported by Reuters.

However, by Thursday, Patel had reversed course, telling senators he fully supported the administration’s proposed cuts to the bureau. The about-face suggested internal pressure from the White House, which has pushed to slash spending across federal agencies as part of broader budget-cutting initiatives.

Republican Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas expressed concern about the proposed reductions, noting they could “force the FBI to eliminate vacant positions and leave positions unfilled,” potentially hampering the bureau’s ability to counter violent crime and national security threats.

Contentious Confirmation Legacy

Patel’s appearance at the budget hearing follows his historically narrow confirmation in February, when he was approved by a 51-49 vote – the closest margin ever for an FBI director. Two Republican senators – Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – joined all Democrats in opposing his nomination.

Throughout his confirmation process, Patel faced questions about his qualifications and temperament to lead the FBI, particularly given his public criticism of the bureau and promises to fundamentally reform the agency. During one podcast appearance prior to his nomination, Patel had vowed to shut down FBI headquarters on his first day and reopen it as a “museum of the deep state.”

At his confirmation hearing, Patel had attempted to distance himself from such comments, telling lawmakers, “Any accusations leveled against me that I would somehow put political bias before the Constitution are grotesquely unfair.” However, concerns about his close ties to President Trump and his potential willingness to use the bureau to target political opponents remained central to the confirmation debate.

Broader Staffing and Leadership Turmoil

The budget confusion comes amid significant personnel changes at the FBI. Eight senior bureau officials were asked to step down from their posts or face termination last month as part of broader scrutiny of FBI leadership by the Trump administration. The ousted officials had overseen the bureau’s national security, criminal, and cyber divisions, according to reports.

Adding to the organizational complexity, Patel was briefly designated as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in February, holding two major Justice Department leadership positions simultaneously. After several weeks, he was quietly removed from the ATF role, with Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll taking over those responsibilities.

“Director Kash Patel was briefly designated ATF Director while awaiting Senate confirmations — a standard, short-term move. Dozens of similar re-designations have occurred across the federal government,” White House spokesman Harrison Fields told Reuters at the time. The unusual dual appointment had surprised ATF staff, with five officials telling Reuters they had no advance notice of Trump’s plan to install Patel.

Next Steps for Budget Process

As the budget process continues, lawmakers from both parties have emphasized the need for proper documentation to make informed decisions about FBI funding levels. The proposed cuts have generated bipartisan concern, with Senator Murray noting that Congress cannot properly assess the bureau’s needs without detailed financial information.

“We are now having a budget hearing without a budget request,” Murray observed during the session, highlighting the procedural irregularity.

Patel indicated he was working with the Justice Department and the White House Office of Management and Budget to address the documentation issues, but provided no concrete timeline for delivering the required materials to Congress. As the fiscal year 2026 budget process unfolds, lawmakers have made clear they expect the bureau to fulfill its statutory obligations regarding financial transparency.