Attorney General Merrick Garland is requesting $85 million in additional funding from Congress to bolster the Justice Department and FBI's efforts to combat domestic terrorism, according to a copy of his opening remarks before a House Appropriations subcommittee.
Why it matters: Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray and intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned that violent extremists pose an "elevated" threat against the country this year.
- The attorney general has pledged to crack down on violence linked to white supremacists and right-wing militia groups, and has made prosecuting those involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol siege his top priority.
- Garland told Congress in February that "we are facing a more dangerous period than we faced in Oklahoma City" in 1995, when an extremist attack killed 168 people and injured over 680 others.
By the numbers: The Justice Department is seeking a $45 million increase in funding for the FBI for domestic terrorism investigations and $40 million for U.S. attorneys to manage domestic terrorism cases.
- Garland will also ask Congress to increase the agency's civil rights funding by $33 million in part to help protect voting rights and prosecute hate crimes.
- DOJ also wants an additional $232 million to combat gun violence, and $304 million to go toward community-oriented policing programs and addressing systemic inequities.
Go deeper: Merrick Garland rapidly erasing Trump effect at Justice Department
