According to FBI Director Christopher Wray, there is a heightened risk to the safety and security of the United States and believes there is a need for a larger budget to address this threat.
In Wray’s statement to the House Appropriations subcommittee hearing, “Looking back over my career in law enforcement, I’d be hard-pressed to think of a time where so many threats to our public safety and national security were so elevated all at once,” Wray will said. “But that is the case as I sit here today. This is not a point when we can let up.”
Wray argued at the hearing that the federal agency needs fiscal support to “tackle these threats” to keep American citizens safe.
According to Wray, “This is by no means a time to let up or dial back. This is a time when we need your support the most — we need all the tools, all the people, and all the resources required to tackle these threats and to keep Americans safe.”
The FBI’s primary worry is that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East may motivate individuals to commit terrorist attacks in the United States.
The primary worry is that the occurrences in the Middle East may motivate individuals or small groups to commit attacks within the country. There is even more worry about the possibility of a synchronized attack within the homeland, similar to the recent ISIS-K attack at the Russia Concert Hall.
In an effort to ensure the continuation of the surveillance of foreign nationals overseas, Wray urged Congress to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) before its expiration date of April 19.
The reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is a crucial tool for Congress in the fight against foreign adversaries. It is believed it is especially important for securing our nation, and it is currently a pressing matter.
According to the FBI Director, Chinese hackers are on the brink of launching attacks as their infiltrations have reached a “fever pitch”.
Section 702 has been both praised for its role in thwarting terrorist attacks within the United States and criticized for its potential use as a means of surveillance on American citizens.
According to allegations, the FBI has misused Section 702 to surveil both Black Lives Matter protesters during the summer of 2020 and individuals involved in the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021.
The FBI director believes that reducing the agency’s budget would not only impact FBI operations but also have a direct effect on the state and local law enforcement partners.
The FBI works closely with a large number of task force officers from various law enforcement agencies across the country on FBI-led task forces. In addition, the FBI offers technology, expertise, and important investigative leads, such as DNA matches, as well as advanced training to law enforcement nationwide in order to assist in ensuring the safety of our communities.
According to Wray, any cuts made to our organization also impact our partners, including state and local law enforcement agencies and officers who are actively risking their lives on the front lines.
