The Justice Department is cutting over 5,000 jobs, including 1,500 from the FBI, in a sweeping move to reduce spending and refocus on core priorities. Most of the eliminated positions were already unfilled, saving taxpayers hundreds of millions.
Key Facts:
- The DOJ’s FY2026 budget request eliminates 5,093 positions, 4,500 of which were already vacant.
- The FBI’s budget is cut by $545 million, reducing more than 1,500 positions, including over 700 vacant agent slots.
- The overall DOJ workforce will still exceed 100,000 employees after the cuts.
- ATF’s budget is cut by $468 million and consolidated under the DEA, which itself faces a $112 million reduction.
- The total DOJ budget request is $33.6 billion—$2.5 billion less than the previous year’s request.
The Rest of The Story:
The Department of Justice has submitted a budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 that aims to shrink its footprint across multiple agencies.
The proposal outlines a reduction of 5,093 positions, including 1,500 at the FBI.
Most of these cuts—4,500 in total—are already vacant, thanks to a deferred resignation program from the Trump administration, generating at least $470 million in savings.
The FBI will see its budget shrink by $545 million and over 700 vacant agent roles eliminated.
The DEA’s budget will drop by $112 million, while the ATF will be cut by $468 million and folded into the DEA.
The DOJ says these changes will “prioritize core missions of securing the border, eliminating transnational criminal organizations, reinforcing national security, and protecting the American people from violent crime.”
The proposal also calls for reducing grants to state and local programs by $823 million and seeks nearly $227 million to bolster staffing shortages in federal prisons.
Commentary:
This is exactly the kind of belt-tightening Washington has avoided for too long.
With a $36 trillion national debt, it’s clear the federal government needs to dramatically shrink to avoid long-term financial collapse.
The DOJ’s proposed reductions are a small but meaningful step in the right direction.
Over half of the eliminated jobs were never filled in the first place, meaning taxpayers were on the hook for budgets that didn’t produce results.
Cutting these empty slots isn’t just smart budgeting—it’s common sense.
If a position hasn’t been filled in years, it probably isn’t needed.
Every government agency, from the FBI to the ATF, has grown bloated over the decades.
The culture of “more staff, more funding” has led to a sprawling bureaucracy that moves slowly, spends freely, and achieves little.
Streamlining agencies like the DEA and consolidating redundant operations will make them more effective.
Pam Bondi and her team deserve credit for leading this charge.
While many in Washington shy away from tough decisions, Bondi’s DOJ is cutting waste and forcing federal law enforcement to focus on real threats: violent crime, border security, and drug trafficking.
It’s also refreshing to see a serious reevaluation of grants to state and local governments.
Too many federal programs fund initiatives that don’t work, can’t be measured, or exist solely to please political allies.
Trimming $823 million from these programs shows a willingness to ask hard questions about what’s actually effective.
Meanwhile, it’s clear that some areas—like the Bureau of Prisons—are still being prioritized where necessary.
Hiring more correctional officers to address critical shortages is a targeted, justified increase in spending that enhances public safety.
All in all, this proposal reflects a renewed focus on law and order, fiscal responsibility, and smaller government.
Let’s hope Congress follows through.
The Bottom Line:
The DOJ’s proposed budget cuts over 5,000 jobs and slashes billions from its funding, with a heavy focus on eliminating vacant positions and consolidating agencies.
The reductions aim to make federal law enforcement more efficient while still prioritizing national security and public safety.
With runaway debt threatening the country’s future, these are the kinds of moves that more departments should be making.
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