The Trump administration’s proposed Justice Department budget ran into criticism from both sides of the aisle on Wednesday, as lawmakers questioned a plan that would cut funding to law enforcement agencies and outlines an overhaul to the department’s structure.
Senators called out and picked apart pieces of the proposal during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee meeting with Attorney General Pamela Bondi, bringing up the administration’s plans to eliminate the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, consolidate grantmaking components and reduce funding for the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Sen. Susan Collins, who leads the full Senate Appropriations Committee, turned attention to a proposal to slash funding for the Office on Violence Against Women by 29 percent. An administration budget document outlines a 20 percent cut to a program that assists domestic violence and sexual assault survivors with transitional housing and a 23 percent cut to a program that helps states support rape crisis centers and other groups.
