WATCH LIVE: Kash Patel testifies on FBI budget request

Published May 12, 2026 1:00pm ET



FBI Director Kash Patel is testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee on his agency’s budget request for fiscal 2027.

The bureau is requesting more than $12.5 billion in appropriated funds, marking a nearly 18% increase from fiscal 2026.

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Patel will be one of four witnesses asking Congress for funding. The other three are Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Director Robert Cekada, U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces Serralta, and Drug Enforcement Administrator Terry Cole.

The hearing is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. Tuesday.