White House again accuses congressional Republicans of attempting to defund police

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Karine Jean-Pierre blames Republicans for defunding police

During a White House press briefing on Wednesday, Karine Jean-Pierre blamed congressional Republicans for taking measures that defund the police.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, on Wednesday, accused congressional Republicans of trying to defund the police while President Biden takes efforts to fight crime and keep people safe.

The press secretary was asked if Biden feels the administration and Washington was putting enough attention on crime, especially in urban areas like Chicago.

White House press secretary speaks during a press briefing on March 1, 2023.

Jean-Pierre told the reporter that Biden put forth a comprehensive, safer communities plan after inheriting a rise in the crime rate – by inheriting, she was referring to the previous administration under Trump, though she did not say his name.

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She also said the president has focused on the rise of crime since the beginning of his presidency, and when he presents his budget next week, it will reflect that commitment to fighting crime.

But Jean-Pierre also took the opportunity to point fingers at opponents who she accused of working against the president.

"What we have seen is that for four years…congressional Republicans have been doing the opposite," she said. "When you think about the COPS program, which is something that the president put forward, they have wanted to defund that to take it away. And if you think about that, that leads to defunding the police.

Both Democratic lawmakers and members of the media have pushed the movement to defund police.  (Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)

"Just recently, they called on defunding the FBI, and when you think about the border security funding, they want to take that away as well," Jean-Pierre added.

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This is not the first time the White House has taken aim at Republicans for working to "defund" the police or FBI.

In October, the White House told Fox News Digital that they were going on offense to hold Republicans accountable for obstructing legislation that would ban "assault" weapons. The official who spoke to Fox said passing the assault weapons ban legislation is key to taking on the rise in violent crime – a problem the Biden Administration claims it "inherited from the Trump administration."

The United States had an assault weapons ban from 1994 to 2004. It was allowed to expire after studies showed that its impact on crime was negligible. 

President Biden speaks about inflation and supply chain issues in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

When Biden inherited the rising crime rate, which largely rests in cities controlled by Democratic mayors and city councils and followed the 2020 riots and defunding movement, the administration said every Republican in Congress voted against critical funding that the administration said would have stopped police layoffs from happening across the country.

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The White House also added that Republicans continue to attempt to defund police by voting to eliminate the COPS program, or Community Oriented Policing Services, and even advocate for defunding the FBI.

The COPS program was created in the 1994 crime bill sponsored by then-Sen. Biden is the main way the federal government funds local police. Biden himself has publicly turned against a landmark crime bill he authored that same year, after which crime declined for decades. Biden called that bill a "mistake" during the 2020 presidential campaign. 

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While progressive Democrats like Rep. Cori Bush and "The Squad" continue to push the "defund the police" message, Biden has repeatedly said he does not believe the police should be defunded, even signing bipartisan legislation in support of law enforcement.

Brooke Singman of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.

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