Director Robert Mueller spent the month of March 2012 defending the FY 2013 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) budget proposal on Capitol Hill. The budget proposes $8.2 billion for the FBI in 2013, which is an increase of $114 million, or a 1.4%, from the previous year. On March 7th, Director Mueller testified before the House Appropriations Committee and a week later, he appeared before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science, and Related Agencies. In his testimony, Director Mueller emphasized the “enhanced risks” should broader defense industry cuts affect the FBI.
Director Mueller cited the Bureau’s increasing responsibilities, stating “We are on the law enforcement side but we are now an intelligence and law enforcement agency and should be perceived as such… When it comes to the [budget], we hope people would keep that in mind.” Additionally, Director Mueller warned that budget cuts could hamper the Bureau’s ability to find terrorists and bomb makers. He argued that cuts would slow down analysis of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the Bureau’s Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center (TEDAC) in Quantico, leading to a backlog of cases. “If we’re cut, I can’t do that backlog and that enhances the risk that we will not have a fingerprint of an individual on an IED and that individual may get into Europe or may get into the United States.
Despite the proposed overall increase, the budget does cut numerous Bureau programs, some of which came under fire from lawmakers. The bill eliminates $162 million from the FBI’s Salaries and Expense account. More controversially, the bill seeks to cut the entire National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC), an agency that was established in 2005 and has an annual budget of $7.8 million. Although Mueller stated that the cut “will not hinder the FBI’s ability to perform the analytical work done there,” Congressman Frank Wolf dismissed this comment as “absurd.” “To eliminate the office would be a mistake,” Wolf replied. Additional cuts included funding in: the contractor workforce supporting national security programs; permanent change of station transfers; information technology, facilities, and other administrative areas; one training day and equipment provided for federal, state, and local bomb technicians; and the Special Weapons and Tactics team and Hostage Rescue Team training.
Director Mueller continued to tout the FBI’s transformation since 2001 as a more “threat-focused, intelligence driven organization.” He reiterated the Bureau’s commitment to “protect the civil liberties of those entrusting us with the authorities to carry out our mission.” In sum, “The FBI continues to shift to be more predictive, preventative, and actively engaged with the communities we serve.”
