The Bush administration's 2009 budget doesn't include additional agents to tackle crimes such as bank robbery and mortgage fraud, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer said Monday.

The newspaper said the budget reflects a trend toward shifting FBI resources to counter-terrorism without covering the manpower losses in other areas.

"The assumption that how it was pre-9/11 is how it ought to be for all time is not the correct premise," said White House Deputy Budget Director Steve McMillin.

But at least one lawmaker sees a political component to the developments.

Sen. Patty Murphy, D-Wash., told the newspaper the administration's allies in the business community don't mind the lesser scrutiny.

"All these people who run around and say 'smaller government, smaller

government, smaller government' are getting what they want -- and that

means not enough FBI agents to prosecute crime," she said.