House Republicans Announce Budget Cuts To F.B.I. A.T.F. and D.O.J.

Congress is expected later this week to take up and approve a package of six spending bills to fund half the government through the fall, after months of bitter negotiations as Republicans pressed for cuts and conservative policies.

The $460 billion legislation would fund a slew of government agencies and programs, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Justice Department and veterans affairs. It must pass in order to avert a partial government shutdown at the end of the week.

Speaker Mike Johnson:

"We also advanced cuts to some of the agencies that have been turned against the American people. We are going to cut 3% from DOJ, 7% from the ATF, 6% from the FBI, and 10% from the EPA."

The F.B.I., a frequent target of Republicans who claim that law enforcement has been weaponized against the right, would receive a 6 percent cut in funding — most of it targeting the bureau’s budget for the construction of a new building. Funding for F.B.I. salaries would also decrease slightly.

Republicans also insisted on the inclusion of a measure prohibiting the Justice Department from targeting or investigating “parents who peacefully protest at school board meetings and are not suspected of engaging in unlawful activity.” Conservatives were outraged when the department in 2021 began tracking threats against school administrators, teachers and board members amid heated and occasionally violent clashes over issues like mask requirements.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — which Republicans criticize for regulating guns too tightly — would also see a 7 percent cut, while funding for the Drug Enforcement Administration would increase slightly.