Addressing members of the House Appropriations Committee, FBI director Christopher Wray put the agency's budget request in stark terms.
"We need all the tools, people and all the resources required to tackle these threats and keep Americans safe," Wray said.
Wray's warning comes in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and the subsequent Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. He said those overseas events could embolden small groups or a lone wolf targeting America.
"Our most immediate concern has been that individuals or small groups will draw twisted inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks here at home," Wray said.
One concern is the terrorist group, ISIS. Just this month, law enforcement in Idaho arrested Alexander Mercurio. In court documents, federal officials say the 18-year-old pledged allegiance to ISIS, attempted to provide material support to the group and planned to conduct attacks on churches in Idaho.
"Now, increasingly concerning is the potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland, akin to the ISIS-K attack we saw at the Russia concert hall a couple weeks ago," Wray said.
ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the attack at the Crocus City concert hall outside of Moscow which killed more than 140 people.
"You've recently testified that threats, 'have gone to another level' and foreign terrorists, including ISIS and al-Qaida, have renewed calls for attacks here in the U.S. — can you expand on that?" asked Rep. Hal Rogers, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee.
Wray responded by saying that all the terrorist groups share something in common.
"These are terrorist orgs that don't typically see eye to eye, but they seem to be pretty united in calling for one thing: calling for attacks on us," Wray said.
At the hearing, Wray also urged Congress to renew FISA – the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
"It's critical in securing our nation, and we're in crunch time," he said.
Wray also said the U.S.-designated terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas are also threatening to attack, by potentially hitting U.S. interests in the Middle East.
Idaho teen planned church attacks to support Islamic State group
Eighteen-year-old Alexander Scott Mercurio has been charged with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group.
