FBI Director Decries Proposed 22 Percent Budget Cut, Says China ‘Not Dialing Back’

FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during a press conference at the Justice Department in Washington, on Jan. 26, 2023. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

A more than 20 percent cut to the FBI budget could have a drastic effect on the agency’s ability to tackle violent criminals, child abuse, and the economic espionage threat from China, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned lawmakers on April 27.

Wray issued the warning during his testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies to discuss President Joe Biden’s budget request for the FBI for the fiscal year 2024, just one day after House Republicans narrowly passed a bill authorizing a $1.5 trillion increase in the debt ceiling.