During a House Appropriations Committee hearing last month, Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN) asked Attorney General Pam Bondi about an email sent to FBI agents that asked them to explain what they did the previous week.
00:07Our law enforcement officers, first responders, and local safety agencies are the backbone
00:11of our communities.
00:12In Northwest Indiana, I've worked hard to bring critical federal grant dollars home,
00:17funds that directly support the brave men and women who protect us every day.
00:21Unfortunately, funding for 2025 has been rescinded, weakening our public safety framework
00:26and making our neighborhoods less safe.
00:28I firsthand have a positive impact in securing dollars and investments for Gary, Indiana,
00:34East Chicago, Lake County, and Michigan City that were force multipliers that were technology
00:39such as license plate readers and the COPS grant.
00:42I'm asking you today, what can we do to ensure that those funds are going to continue to flow
00:48to my district and in light of the HIDA?
00:52I'm in Northwest Indiana, Gary, Indiana.
00:54We are a HIDA district where we have the Chicago traffic.
00:59That's vitally important to my district.
01:01I just need commitments that that funding will continue to be going forward and that our agencies
01:05will have that support.
01:07Congressman, thank you for bringing that up.
01:09I'm well aware of the HIDA.
01:10I believe that's in Maryville.
01:11Is that correct?
01:12You are correct.
01:13And yes, that funding will remain where it is.
01:16We do not intend on touching that funding.
01:20We want to protect HIDA.
01:21Very good.
01:22So in light of the escalation with Iran, part of our cybersecurity and our infrastructure
01:29when it comes to our electric grid, our banking systems, that is a new threat.
01:36Does this budget reflect increasing our cybersecurity protections?
01:41And how is the Department of Justice going to protect our infrastructure when it comes
01:47to bad actors such as Iran coming directly at our infrastructure in a cyber attack?
01:55Yeah, we have $50 million for cybersecurity and also in the one big-
02:02With an M?
02:0350 million?
02:0450 million.
02:05But also in the one big beautiful bill, it is also addressed to give us more resources.
02:10And you know, it's not only Iran-
02:12Can I ask-
02:13As you well know, it's China as well.
02:14But yes, I wholeheartedly agree with you.
02:16In the reconciliation, tomato, tomato.
02:18In the reconciliation bill, can you tell me what more resources are going to go towards cybersecurity?
02:24Because I was under the impression that was decreased.
02:28Can I get you-
02:29I will get you those numbers.
02:30Okay.
02:31Yes.
02:32I want to do everything I can to help you protect cybersecurity, all of us in this country.
02:36Not only again with Iran, but also with China and all of our foreign adversaries around the world.
02:42Okay.
02:43And then just a question of curiosity that I have.
02:46Director Patel was here a couple of weeks ago, and we talked about the emails that went to the FBI agents.
02:53Meaning, please tell us what you did at the end of the week.
02:56Give us five reasons why you did.
02:58At first, Director Patel said that that didn't exist.
03:01Then he specifically said, well, that came from the Department of Justice to the FBI agents.
03:06And his words, I told them not to fulfill that obligation.
03:10How do you manage that if you give a directive to your director of FBI and he chooses not to fulfill that?
03:16And where did that information go?
03:18So when someone from the FBI, an agent, fulfilled that obligation of giving you the information of what they were working on, where did that data go and how is it secured?
03:28Yeah, and Congressman, I'd be happy to see who answered that.
03:31But I have asked, I asked, when I learned about it, I asked that it be withdrawn.
03:35And it was that email.
03:36When you, when you learned about the email going to the FBI agents, you asked them to withdraw it.
03:42Who did you ask to have it withdrawn?
03:43My entire office.
03:44And it was.
03:45So it is unknown who sent that email?
03:47Well, it came from my office.
03:50But when I learned it went to the FBI, we asked that it be withdrawn.
03:55Where is the gap of my understanding, if it came from your office, you're telling me you didn't send it?
04:01I didn't realize it went to the FBI.
04:03That email went out.
04:04So.
04:05And the purpose of that email was to make sure, just so you know, it wasn't, it was to make sure that these people were sitting at their desk and working and alive.
04:12That there were people actually responding.
04:14Okay, and I agree.
04:15Then I got up and got a cup of coffee.
04:17Sure.
04:18So without going into that, the people that did answer it, where did that data go?
04:23I will find out.
04:24I will get you that information.
04:26And I only ask as a national security issue as they're working on sensitive issues.
04:30And I thank you for joining us and I yield back my time.
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