Budget Hearing – Fiscal Year 2026 Request for the Department of Justice

House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

2025-06-23

Loading video...

Source: Congress.gov

Summary

The hearing focused on the Department of Justice's (DOJ) fiscal year 2026 budget request, with Attorney General Pam Bondi presenting the administration's priorities [ 00:15:18 ] . Committee members raised various concerns and questions regarding budget allocations, the department's enforcement strategies, and perceived politicization of the DOJ .

Themes

DOJ Budget and Mission

Attorney General Bondi presented a $34 billion budget request for the DOJ, aiming to restore the department's core mission of public safety and vigorous law enforcement . She highlighted efforts to dismantle fentanyl networks, prosecute gang members, and enforce immigration laws, while also committing to finding savings and reducing inefficiencies . Conversely, Democratic members, including Representative Meng and Representative DeLauro, expressed strong concerns that the proposed budget weakens the country's efforts to fight crime by slashing funding for key agencies and programs . They criticized the administration for illegally withholding appropriated funds and prioritizing political retaliation over the rule of law .

Fentanyl and Drug Trafficking

Congressman Rogers highlighted the ongoing opioid and addiction crisis, particularly the impact of fentanyl, noting a recent decrease in overdose deaths but emphasizing the need for continued action against precursor chemicals and cartels [ 00:16:11-00:17:22 ] [ 00:34:27 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
. Attorney General Bondi detailed current DOJ operations, including "Operation Raptor" targeting dark web trafficking and a major DEA bust against the Sinaloa cartel, seizing significant quantities of fentanyl, firearms, and assets . She also acknowledged the challenge of fentanyl precursors entering via the northern border and the constant evolution of drug manufacturing methods . Representative DeLauro countered that fentanyl seizures are down and criticized budget cuts to DEA and other drug enforcement programs [ 00:52:58-00:53:01 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
.

Weaponization of the DOJ and Rule of Law

Several members accused the current administration of politicizing the DOJ, citing examples like pardons for January 6th defendants, targeted investigations against political opponents, and weakening of law enforcement sections combating political corruption . Representative Alford commended Attorney General Bondi for shifting the DOJ away from politically motivated investigations and ending the weaponization against American citizens . Attorney General Bondi affirmed her commitment to end the "weaponization" of agencies and refocus on core law enforcement functions, such as fighting drugs and crime . She also denied that her budget proposal involved cutting the National Integrated Ballistics Enforcement Network (NIBIN) program .

Budget Cuts to Law Enforcement Agencies

Representative Meng and Representative DeLauro voiced strong objections to proposed budget cuts for the FBI, DEA, and ATF, arguing they would severely impair the ability to fight crime, drug trafficking, and illegal gun trafficking . Specific concerns included the elimination of over 500 industry operations investigators and 186 agents from the ATF [ 00:56:55-00:57:05 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
. Attorney General Bondi defended the budget by stating the cuts were part of a reorganization to make operations more efficient, specifically by merging ATF and DEA activities to leverage their combined efforts against guns and drugs . She emphasized that ATF agents would be on the streets, focusing on enforcement rather than regulatory functions .

Hate Crimes and Community Programs

Representative Meng expressed deep concern over the proposed elimination of three DOJ grant programs aimed at preventing and prosecuting hate crimes, highlighting their importance for community engagement and law enforcement training . She presented a letter from hate crime survivors and victims' families protesting these cuts . Attorney General Bondi stated she was unfamiliar with the specific programs but offered to work with Meng on a case-by-case basis to review grants [ 00:43:26-00:43:37 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
.

National Security and Border Concerns

Congressman Gonzales raised urgent concerns about national security, including the presence of Iranian sleeper cells, the number of active threats to the homeland, and the influx of Iranian nationals across the border [ 00:45:49-00:45:53 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
. He questioned the proposed budget's reduction in national security and law enforcement funding, particularly cuts to FBI branches dealing with cyber, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism [ 00:48:59-00:49:31 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
. Attorney General Bondi acknowledged the serious nature of these threats, stating the DOJ is on high alert and working with other agencies to secure the nation [ 00:47:56-00:48:03 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
. She stated that the budget supports national security efforts and emphasized the importance of additional funding through the "Big Beautiful Bill" [ 00:50:09-00:50:16 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
.

Pardons and Ethics

Representative Morelle questioned the scope of presidential pardons for January 6th defendants, specifically whether they cover unrelated crimes . Attorney General Bondi declined to comment on pending litigation or advice given to the President regarding pardons [ 01:20:40 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
[ 01:22:04-01:22:06 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
. Representative Dean aggressively questioned Attorney General Bondi about her past work for Qatar and a recent stock sale, implying potential conflicts of interest and profiting from her position [ 01:30:23-01:30:25 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
. Bondi defended her ethical compliance and stated her involvement with Qatar was for anti-human trafficking efforts during the World Cup [ 01:30:31-01:30:43 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
.

Tone of the Meeting

The meeting's tone was marked by a stark partisan divide and significant tension . Democratic members frequently interrupted and directly challenged Attorney General Bondi with accusations of politicization, illegal actions, and detrimental budget cuts . Attorney General Bondi, while maintaining a firm stance, often responded defensively and sometimes directly challenged the factual basis or professional conduct of her interlocutors [ 00:54:37 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
[ 01:30:48-01:30:50 ]

Citation requires full transcript

Sign in to continue

Sign in
. Republican members generally praised Bondi, expressing confidence in her leadership and the administration's efforts to refocus the DOJ .

Participants

Transcript

Good afternoon.  Committee will be in order.  Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess at any time.  We'll begin by myself being recognized for an opening statement.  I'd like to welcome our witness, the Honorable Pam Bondi, Attorney General of the United States,   to testify on the Department of Justice's fiscal year 2026 budget.  To begin, I want to thank the Attorney General for speaking at the Rx and Illicit Drugs Summit this past April down in Nashville, Tennessee.  That's, I think, the third or fourth of those summits that you have been there to speak.  And we appreciate that especially.   That summit gathers the best and brightest to discuss ways our nation can tackle the opioid and addiction crisis impacting every corner of our country.  At this year's summit, we received some encouraging news from the CDC that overdose deaths have decreased by nearly 30%.  Unfortunately, we still lost   over 80,000 loved ones in 24, and recent provisional data from the CDC suggests that the progress that has been made might be coming to an end.  And indeed, 70% of those deaths were from fentanyl.  Significant more work needs to be done to curb opioid addiction.   including focusing on the precursor chemicals being produced in China and the manufacturing labs in Mexico, as well as tracking down the cartels and criminals that shop these drugs to our nation's children.
The Department of Justice must keep this at the top of their priority list.  Unfortunately, Madam General, your job at the top   will not be easy and the list of issues that the American people are counting on you to address is long and dangerous.  From fentanyl and immigration to violent crime and supporting local law enforcement, the Department of Justice needs to uphold the rule, law and equal justice, while tackling the most dangerous situations confronting Americans.   To make matters even more difficult, this all must be accomplished within a budget that needs to be right-sized for efficiency and effectiveness.  The Department of Justice's fiscal year 2026 budget request totals just under $34 billion.  This represents a reduction of close to $3 billion from fiscal 25   and specifically the request includes about 11 billion to target violent crime, 10 billion to tackle drug crimes, over 3 billion to defend the nation and our citizens against transnational organized crime, and over 3.5 billion to address immigration.  These are the exact issues   that hit home for many families, and these are the issues that are being discussed between neighbors in all of our states, including mine in Kentucky and across the nation.  After four years of politicization at the Biden's Department of Justice,
These are the issues that the American people expect you to address.  They want a Department of Justice that protects American citizens from violent crime, not one that is weaponized against them for speaking their minds.  Thus far, we have seen much progress on many of these fronts.   including an administration that's taking the nation's borders seriously.  Attorney General Boddie, I stand ready to support you in your efforts to ensure that the American public lives in a society that is free from crime and abuse.  I look forward to hearing from you today regarding the fiscal 26 budget, and then we will go from there.   There are critically important funding decisions ahead of us, and I hope we can gain a better sense of your priorities today so that we can make the best decision on behalf of the American public.  Let me now recognize the ranking member of this subcommittee, Ms.  Ming, for any remarks she cares to make.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and welcome, Attorney General Bondi.  Tens of thousands of public servants at the Department of Justice and its bureaus have historically worked very hard and continue to work hard to protect public safety and uphold the rule of law in our country.  Yet I must take this opportunity to express my very strong concerns about this current administration's lack of respect for the rule of law.   Over the past five months, we have seen numerous examples of this administration outright breaking the law.  The administration continues to illegally withhold billions of dollars in funding that Congress appropriated, including hundreds of recently terminated justice grants that had previously been awarded through open and competitive processes.   The administration is violating the federal law that mandates that the Office of Management and Budget publish apportionments and show the public how and when federal agencies are spending appropriated funds.   The Justice Department has begun illegally restoring the gun possession rights of convicted felons and domestic abusers.  It's allowing the sale of forced reset trigger devices without a background check.  These are devices that effectively convert regular firearms into machine guns, which I fear will only make mass shootings in the United States more numerous and deadly.   More than 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6 attack on the Capitol were pardoned or granted commutations of sentences.  The president's new appointee as pardon attorney, Ed Martin, previously raised money to help defend some of the most violent of these individuals, people who assaulted police officers.   Some of the pardoned January 6 defendants have subsequently been arrested, charged, or sentenced for other crimes.
Under this president, the US has accepted a luxury jetliner from Qatar, very likely in violation of the emoluments cause of the Constitution.   This president has also issued a series of illegal and unconstitutional executive orders, several of which are being challenged in courts right now.

Sign up for free to see the full transcript

Accounts help us prevent bots from abusing our site. Accounts are free and will allow you to access the full transcript.

Sign up