The FBI is worried about the impact the government shutdown will have on investigating crime.
Already hammered by budget cuts and sequestration, the FBI is operating without employees deemed “non-essential,” the Washington Times reports.
A month ago, the FBI Agents Association said in a report that it’s concerned about budget cuts that already froze new training and the hirings of new agents.
“Trying to save money by undermining the FBI’s ability to protect the public is likely to be far more costly to our country in the long run,” the group said.
FBI Director James Comey said he’s shocked by the impact on budget cuts.
“I was very surprised to learn how severe the required cut is and the potential impact on this organization,” he said. “Frankly, as a taxpayer and as an American I was surprised, and it didn’t make any sense to me that the FBI director would be asked not just to cut 3,000 positions but, given what’s on our plate, to send folks home for a couple weeks without pay.”
