The Senate is currently in the process of voting on the confirmation of Kash Patel to lead the FBI. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski has voted against confirming Patel, although her vote is not yet official until the voting process concludes. Another Republican, Senator Susan Collins, has already stated her intention to vote against Patel's confirmation.
It is important to note the significant role that the FBI plays in US intelligence, a role that Patel appears poised to redefine in unprecedented ways if confirmed. Patel has made allegations against the FBI and other intelligence agencies, accusing them of being part of a 'deep state' plot targeting President Trump and his allies, including himself. He has called for a major overhaul of these agencies.
Patel has gone as far as suggesting that the FBI should reduce its intelligence activities and focus more on law enforcement duties. In a podcast interview last fall, he was quoted as saying, 'Go be cops.' This proposed shift in focus would represent a significant departure from the current responsibilities of the FBI.
It is worth noting that scaling back the FBI's intelligence functions could potentially undo important reforms that were implemented in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. These reforms were put in place to address the failures in intelligence sharing among government agencies that were identified as contributing factors to the attacks.
