FBI Director Christopher Wray is set to warn Congress about the heightened threats to U.S. public safety and national security, urging lawmakers to renew a crucial surveillance program and increase the agency's funding. In his testimony before the House Appropriations subcommittee on Thursday, Wray will emphasize the need for the FBI to have the necessary tools, personnel, and resources to address these elevated threats effectively.
"Looking back over my career in law enforcement, I'd be hard-pressed to think of a time where so many threats to our public safety and national security were so elevated all at once," Wray will say, according to a transcript of his opening statement obtained by ABC News. "But that is the case as I sit here today. This is not a point when we can let up."
One of the FBI's primary concerns is the potential for individuals or small groups to draw "twisted inspiration" from recent events in the Middle East, particularly the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and carry out attacks on U.S. soil. However, Wray will also highlight the growing concern about the possibility of a coordinated attack similar to the ISIS-K assault on a concert hall in Russia last month, which claimed the lives of 144 people.
"...Our most immediate concern has been that individuals or small groups will draw twisted inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks here at home," Wray will say. "But now increasingly concerning is the potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland, akin to the ISIS-K attack we saw at the Russia Concert Hall a couple weeks ago."
To address these threats effectively, Wray will push for Congress to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows the government to monitor foreign nationals overseas without a warrant. The program, set to expire on April 19, has been credited with preventing terror attacks on U.S. soil but has also faced criticism for potentially enabling the surveillance of U.S. citizens.
"...An absolutely indispensable tool for Congress can give us in our fight against foreign adversaries is the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act," Wray will emphasize. "It's critical in securing our nation, and we're in crunch time."
The effort to renew Section 702 was recently blocked in the House amid concerns from both parties that the proposed overhaul did not go far enough in curbing the government's surveillance powers. Some civil liberties groups, such as the ACLU, have called for additional reforms, including requiring the intelligence community to obtain a warrant to access the data of Americans.
In addition to the renewal of Section 702, Wray will advocate for increased funding for the FBI, which is currently facing a $500 million budget decrease. He will argue that cuts to the agency's budget will not only affect FBI operations but also directly impact partners in state and local law enforcement who rely on the FBI's technology, expertise, and training to keep communities safe.
"Every day, FBI agents, analysts and professional staff are working shoulder to shoulder with thousands of task force officers from hundreds of different police departments and sheriffs' offices all over the country on our FBI-led task forces," Wray will say. "On top of that, we provide technology and expertise, valuable investigative leads like DNA matches, and cutting-edge training to law enforcement nationwide to help them keep our communities safe."
