FBI Director Kash Patel & Other Federal Law Enforcement Officials Testify on the 2027 Budget Request

C-SPAN: “You are a disgrace,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to FBI Director Kash Patel during one of several heated exchanges the two had during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the president’s 2027 budget request. Sen. Van Hollen, ranking member of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee, questioned the FBI Director over the director’s leadership qualifications, as well as reports of alleged intoxication on the job, misuse of FBI resources, and the firing of career FBI officers for political reasons, which the director denied. Also testifying were the leaders from Drug Enforcement, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Topics addressed included workforce needs, judicial security, immigration enforcement operations, and the prevention of drug proliferation.