LegiStorm

Summary:

The Department of Justice (DOJ) was established in 1870 with the Attorney General as its leader. Since its creation, DOJ has grown to add additional agencies, components, offices, boards, and divisions. DOJ, along with the judicial branch, operates the federal criminal justice system. Today, the department enforces federal criminal and civil laws, including antitrust, civil rights, environmental, and tax laws. DOJ, through agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), investigates terrorism, organized and violent crime, illegal drugs, and gun and explosives violations. The department, through the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), protects the federal judiciary, apprehends fugitives, and detains individuals who are not granted pretrial release. DOJ prosecutes individuals accused of violating federal laws and it represents the U.S. government in court. DOJ's Bureau of Prisons (BOP) incarcerates individuals convicted of violating federal laws. In addition to its role in administering the federal criminal justice system, the department also provides grants and training to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and judicial and correctional systems. For FY2016, Congress provided a total of $29.090 billion for DOJ. The Obama Administration proposed a 2.8% increase in DOJ's funding for FY2017 ($29.910 billion). The Obama Administration's request included $2.789 billion for the U.S. Marshals, $9.502 billion for the FBI, $2.103 billion for the DEA, $1.306 billion for the ATF, and $7.302 billion for the BOP. The remaining funding (approximately $6.908 billion) would be for DOJ's other offices, such as the U.S. Attorneys offices, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, and the Attorney General's office, along with supporting other functions such as interagency drug crime task forces and awarding grants to aid the operations of state and local law enforcement and judicial and correctional systems. The Obama Administration's FY2017 DOJ budget request included proposals to increase funding for existing programs and fund new programs that sought to address several issues that rose to national prominence recently, such as concerns about gun violence in cities across the country, the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve, violent extremism and "home-grown" terrorism, preparing inmates to return to society after incarceration, cybersecurity, and an increase in heroin abuse and overdose-related deaths. The FY2017 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill reported by the Senate Committee on Appropriations (S. 2837) would have provided a total of $29.246 billion for DOJ, while the House committee-reported CJS appropriations bill (H.R. 5393) would have provided a total of $29.437 billion for DOJ. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31) appropriates $28.962 billion for DOJ, an amount that is 0.4% less than the FY2016 appropriation and 2.9% less than what the Obama Administration requested. The act includes $2.713 billion for the U.S. Marshals, $9.006 billion for the FBI, $2.103 billion for the DEA, $1.259 billion for the ATF, and $7.142 billion for the BOP. The remaining funding (approximately $6.793 billion) would be for DOJ's other offices, such as the U.S. Attorneys offices, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, and the Attorney General's office, along with supporting the other functions noted above.