July 14, 2023 12:34pm EDT
FBI funding slashed by $1B in legislation moving closer to a House vote
FBI funding would drop from $11.3 billion to $10.3 billion under the bill
By Peter Kasperowicz | Fox News
House Republicans on Friday advanced legislation that would cut FBI funding by $1 billion and rein in what the GOP says is the over-politicization of the bureau.
In a party-line vote, a House Appropriations subcommittee approved the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies funding bill for 2024. The legislation goes further than the spending deal reached by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and President Biden by steering overall funding levels to those seen in 2022 rather than 2023.
For the FBI, that means a significant 9% cut in funding. The bill chops discretionary funding for the bureau from $11.3 billion in the current fiscal year to $10.3 billion.
The big chunk of that cut is a $400 million reduction to FBI salaries and expenses. But the bill also imposes new spending limitations on the bureau, which has been a focus of complaints from Republicans who say the FBI has failed to pursue charges against Hunter Biden while it has aggressively worked to prosecute conservatives.
Among other things, the bill bars the FBI from conducting any politically sensitive investigations until the Justice Department sets up a policy that lets non-partisan staff oversee these probes.
The bill prevents the FBI from paying the salary of any employee who retaliates against a whistleblower, thwarts an employee’s First Amendment rights to free speech or fails to comply with a congressional subpoena. It also prohibits the FBI from classifying any communication as "misinformation" or censor lawful speech.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbi-funding-slashed-legislation-closer-house-vote
