On Thursday, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that the threat to U.S. national security and public safety is “elevated” while advocating an increase in budget.
“Looking back on my career as a law enforcement officer, it’s hard to recall a moment when so many threats were raised to our national security and public safety at the same time,” Wray said to the House Appropriations Subcommittee Thursday afternoon. “But this is true as I sit in front of you today.” “We cannot relax at this point.”
Wray will argue in the hearing that federal agencies need financial support to “address these threats” and keep Americans safe.
This is not the time to slow down or back off. Wray says, “This is the time we most need your help. We need all of the tools, people, and resources needed to combat these threats and keep Americans safe.”
Wray said that the FBI is “immediately concerned” that terrorists will be inspired by the Israel-Hamas conflict that has been ongoing in the Middle East to carry out attacks in the U.S.
He will mention the terrorist attack on the Russia Concert Hall that killed 144 people in the worst attack on Russian soil for two decades.
“… Our most immediate concern is that individuals or groups may take twisted inspiration from events in the Middle East and carry out attacks at home. He will add that the possibility of a coordinated attack in the homeland is now more concerning, similar to the ISIS K attack at the Russia Concert Hall two weeks ago.”
Wray will urge Congress to renew Section 702 (which monitors foreigners overseas) of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. This section is due to expire on April 19th, and it allows for the monitoring of foreign nationals abroad.
“An essential tool that Congress can provide us in our battle against foreign adversaries is the reauthorization of Section 702 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act,” he says. “It’s crucial in securing the nation, we are in crunch time.”
Section 702 is credited for preventing terrorist attacks on U.S. territory, but it has also been accused of spying on U.S. citizenry.
The FBI is accused of using Section 702 improperly to spy on Black Lives Matter demonstrators in the summer of 2020, as well as on people who rioted on the U.S. Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021.
The FBI director warns that budget cuts will affect not only FBI operations but also state partners and locally-based law enforcement.
Wray said, “Every day, FBI agents, analysts, and professional staff work shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of police officers and task force members from hundreds of different departments and sheriff’s offices across the country in our FBI-led task forces.” “We also provide law enforcement with technology, expertise, investigative leads such as DNA matches, cutting-edge training, and valuable investigative information.”
Wray said, “Cuts to us mean cuts to our partners – state and local agencies of law enforcement and the officers on the ground who put themselves in harm’s way — quite literally — many times.”
