The rejection marks the most aggressive White House response to the FBI search to date and comes from other Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence Sounds the Alarm on this message comes amid heightened threats to law enforcement.
“Just like President Biden rejects stopping funding for the police, he rejects stopping funding for other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI,” a White House spokesman said. secretary Andrew Bates said in statement exclusively to CNN on Wednesday.
“The President called for increased police funding through COPS program and hire 100,000 additional officers. He also included over $10.8 billion for FBI in his last budget. men as well as women who serve bravely in law enforcement to keep everyone of us securely deserve resources and support what they need do their jobs without seeing cuts in their budgets,” he said.
head of the white house of staffer Ron Klein criticized calls to end funding for the FBI as “a reckless and irresponsible idea”. in Interview on CNN “Don Lemon Tonight” on Wednesday.
This is similar to the tactics of some progressive Democrats. who campaigned on stop funding the police in response to police brutality as the Black Lives Matter movement gained national pulse. Biden has consistently distanced himself from this position, reaffirming his support for law enforcement on in campaign trail and ever since office.
Other Republicans also warn against message, anticipating dissonance with voters ahead of by-elections from party who strongly advocated for law enforcement.
“I just want to remind my Republican colleagues we can hold AG accountable for in decision he made without attacking ordinary law enforcement personnel at the FBI, former This was stated by Vice President Mike Pence at event in New Hampshire Wednesday.
“The Republican Party is party of law and order. Our party costs with in men as well as women who service on the thin blue line at the federal, state and local level and these attacks on The FBI needs to stop. Calls for the withdrawal of FBI funding just as wrong as calls not to fund the police,” Pence said. added.
And Rep. Mike Turner, Chief Republican on House Intelligence Committee, called the statements in support of cutting funding for law enforcement is “outrageous.”
bureautogether with department of National security, also issued a joint intelligence bulletin warning of “violent threats” against federal law enforcement agencies, courts and government personnel and objects.
On Tuesday, organization representing thousands of retired FBI special agents fought off attacks on in bureau and called for government leadership condemn these efforts.
“Unreasonable and reckless attacks on in men as well as women of FBI how they harass [their] mission both dangerous and unacceptable,” the Society believes. of Former Special Agents of The FBI said in statement. “Recent FBI threats personnel and objects serve only to increase the potential for violence and should be condemned by the leaders of this nation.”
Klein told CNN that “everything should to be concerned about the possibility of violence, threats against law enforcement agencies.”
“The President made this is very clear what threatens of political violence has no place in our country. They didn’t have place in our country on January 6th they don’t have place in our country, since then every day they have not place in our country if they are sent against law enforcement at any time. So [Biden’s] job title on political violence is very clear, but we are definitely not for stop funding the FBI,” he said.
After trying attack on FBI field office last a week in Cincinnati, Ohio Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the attacks on law enforcement and similar political rhetoric.
“His just extremely irresponsible of anyone who calls himself a leader and unconditionally anyone who represents the United States of America to Participate in rhetoric for for the sake of of some political goal that can result in harm law enforcement officials and agents,” she told reporters aboard Air Force Two.
This story was updated with additional reaction.
Josh Campbell of CNN, Jessica Schneider, Doni O’Sullivan, Paul P. Murphy, Priscilla Alvarez and Alex Rogers contributed to this report.
