Attorney General Pam Bondi Takes Aim At Biden Border Policies In Address To House Committee

Forbes Breaking News

Attorney General Pam Bondi delivers her opening statement before the House Appropriations Committee.

Transcript

00:00committee, and you're now recognized for an opening statement, which will be entered into the record.

00:07Thank you, Chairman. Good afternoon, Chairman Rogers, Member DeLauro, and Ranking Member Meng,

00:16and distinguished members of the subcommittee. I'm honored to appear before you today to present

00:21the President's fiscal year 2026 budget for the Department of Justice. I look forward to working

00:28with all of you to ensure continued support for the Department and our many critical missions.

00:34President Trump's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal totals $34 billion for the Department of Justice.

00:41That money will support federal law enforcement as well as our state, local, and tribal law enforcement

00:47partners. My primary objective as Attorney General is to return the Department to its core mission

00:53of keeping Americans safe and vigorously enforcing the law. This budget will allow us to continue

01:01doing just that. Since January 20th, we have dismantled deadly fentanyl networks across our

01:07country. We've prosecuted MS-13 and TDA members using terrorism and RICO charges. We've seized

01:13thousands of illegal guns from cartels and extradited key cartel leaders into U.S. prisons.

01:20Last month, the FBI arrested 205 child predators in a single operation, and the DEA executed the

01:28largest fentanyl bust in the history across four states. We have also surged FBI resources to

01:36investigate thousands of violent crimes committed against American Indian and Alaskan Native people.

01:44These are just a few examples of what we've achieved thus far. The budget will allow us to

01:49continue doing our crucial work. We've also led the charge to enforce our immigration laws,

01:55rebuild our immigration system after four years of chaos, help secure our nation's borders. Moreover,

02:03we must guarantee that our laws allow us to process, hold, and remove those who enter our country illegally.

02:12Our U.S. attorneys continue to effectively work with law enforcement at all levels to investigate

02:17and prosecute the increasing volume of immigrated related criminal offenses. Additionally, the

02:25president and I have established and reinvigorated three task forces to enforce the administration's

02:31priorities. The Homeland Security Task Force is enhancing federal and state law enforcement

02:37cooperation to destroy criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations

02:43throughout our country. Joint Task Force Alpha will continue to specifically target the human trafficking

02:51and human smuggling networks that took root while our border was wide open. And Joint Task Force Vulcan

02:58will continue successful efforts to arrest and prosecute members of TDA and MS-13. We are also committed to

03:07making America safe again by reducing recidivism. The Bureau of Prisons has suffered mismanagement,

03:12lack of funding, lack of funding, and low morale. Throughout my confirmation process,

03:18BOP came up in every single meeting, regardless of the senator's party. The president's budget proposal

03:27will address critical staffing shortages, enhance staff retention, and deliver positive changes to a system

03:37that has long needed improvement. The resources made available through President Trump's proposal will also

03:44empower the department to continue fighting our war on fentanyl. Since January 2025, the DEA has already seized 41.5

03:55million fentanyl pills and 4,470 kilos of fentanyl powder. It's a historic rate, but it's not enough. We want to be a

04:06enough. We won't rest until this poison is off our streets. And finally, the 2026 budget continues my

04:16commitment to find savings in the department, reduce inefficiencies, and deliver value to the American

04:21taxpayer. In fiscal year 2026, the department will merge components that will work in overlapping areas

04:32and make our law enforcement and grant-making efforts more effective. We will emerge from this work as a leaner

04:39organization, better equipped to keep the American people safe. Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Delora,

04:48Ranking Member Meng, it is my pleasure to highlight our efforts to be good stewards of these resources. I am working

04:55diligently to restore confidence and integrity to the department and each of these components. Thank

05:02you for your continued support of the department's financial needs and for the opportunity to present

05:08our budget request. I also would ask all of us now to pray for our troops in Qatar. Amen. I look forward to

05:17working with you and I am now happy to take any questions you might have. We will

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