Biden administration rejects Republican calls to defund the FBI

The Biden administration has hit out at Republicans who have issued rallying calls to “defund the FBI,” after their raid on former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence, Mar-A-Lago.

Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates released a statement defending the FBI and law enforcement. “Just like President Biden rejects defunding the police, he rejects defunding other law enforcement, including the FBI,” Bates told CNN on Wednesday.

“The President has called for boosting police funding through the COPS program and hiring 100,000 additional officers. He also included over $10.8 billion for the FBI in his most recent budget. The men and women who bravely serve in law enforcement to keep all of us safe deserve the resources and support that they need to do their jobs – not seeing their budgets slashed,” Bates added.

White House chief of staff Ron Klain condemned the calls to defund the FBI when he spoke to CNN’s Don Lemon on Wednesday. He referred to them as referring to them as “a reckless and irresponsible idea.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence also hit out at his Republican colleagues by saying that the idea of defunding the FBI is “just as wrong,” as previous attempts to defund the police.

“The Republican Party is the party of law and order,” Pence continued. “Our party stands with the men and women who stand on the thin blue line at the federal and state and local level, and these attacks on the FBI must stop. Calls to defund the FBI are just as wrong as calls to defund the police.” When asked about the January 6th committee, Pence said he would give “due consideration” if requested to provide testimony.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Pennsylvania resident Adam Bies was arrested and charged with was arrested and charged in U.S District Court with “influencing, impeding or retaliating” against federal law enforcement agents.

Bies reportedly threatened to “slaughter” FBI agents. “My only goal is to kill more of them before I drop,” Bies said on Thursday. “I will not spend one second of my life in their custody.”