The Trump administration’s major cuts to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are prompting renewed outrage from Capitol Hill.
“I demand you immediately cease all efforts to cut CISA’s workforce, reinstate employees who were transferred or dismissed, and provide details on the impacts of the agency’s workforce reductions,” Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., wrote in a letter to acting CISA Director Madhu Gottumukkala on Tuesday.
Swalwell, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee’s cyber subcommittee, cited reports about firings, layoffs and forced reassignments at CISA since the beginning of the administration.
The letter from Swalwell reflects mounting frustration among congressional Democrats about the Trump administration’s workforce cuts, funding reductions and program eliminations at CISA, which has seen its bipartisan support wither as Republicans target the agency over its election security work in 2020 and 2022.
“I should not need to remind you that cybersecurity threats pose a significant and growing risk to our national security,” Swalwell wrote. “In order to combat these threats, CISA needs to have sufficient personnel to carry out its mission, particularly at a time when canceled contracts and cooperative agreements have left CISA without critical third-party support.”
CISA’s workforce cuts, combined with its termination of a longstanding partnership with the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, “suggest it plans to leave state and local governments on their own for cyber defense,” Swalwell added.
Limited influence
Democrats have pushed back on right-wing attacks on CISA, but without control of either chamber of Congress, they lack the power to protect the agency. Several Democratic lawmakers have peppered CISA’s leadership with questions about the Trump administration’s cuts and rollbacks, but they have received few answers.
In his Tuesday letter, Swalwell asked CISA for an employee headcount broken down by program area; tallies of employees who took buyouts, were reassigned or were laid off; and a headcount of the agency’s remaining security advisers and Cybersecurity State Coordinators broken down by state.
DHS pushback
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson would not address the substance of Swalwell’s letter, saying DHS “responds to official correspondence through official channels.” But the spokesperson, who declined to be named, criticized the congressman for supporting CISA’s anti-misinformation partnerships with tech companies during the 2022 election.
“During the Biden administration, Rep. Swalwell had no issue with CISA performing duties outside of its statutory authority — including censorship, branding, and electioneering,” the spokesperson said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, CISA focused squarely on executing its statutory mission: serving as the national coordinator for securing and protecting U.S. critical infrastructure.”
“If Rep. Swalwell truly valued CISA’s mission,” the spokesperson added, “he would urge his Democratic colleagues to reopen the government immediately.”
