President Biden has threatened to veto a pending House bill that would cut federal spending in many areas, including law enforcement. In a message to Congress on Monday, the White House accused Republicans of "wasting time with partisan bills that cut domestic spending to levels well below" an agreement that Congress passed this year. For the Justice Department overall, the bill would provide $32.6 billion, or $1.2 billion lower than last year.
The bill provides $32.6 billion to DOJ, $1.2 billion or 4 percent below last year's level. The drop "undermines efforts to address violent crime plaguing America’s communities," The White House said. Overall, the lower funding thwarts implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which Biden described as "the most significant gun violence reduction legislation passed by the Congress in 30 years." The bill would force ATF to eliminate 400 positions and over 200 agents and would result in 1,850 fewer positions at the FBI, according to the White House analysis. It is uncertain whether the spending bill will go through the entire appropriations process, which requires approval by the Senate.