The Trump administration and Congress appear to be on a collision course over a plan to overhaul parts of the Justice Department — and whether the White House or Congress holds the power to make those decisions.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi this week defended the fiscal 2026 budget request at House and Senate appropriations hearings, including proposals to fold the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Office on Violence Against Women into other parts of the DOJ.
Congress has passed laws specifically protecting the ability of the ATF and OVW to operate separately. While Bondi insisted the Justice Department would carry out the mergers, lawmakers from both parties suggested that wouldn’t happen without their sign off.
