House Democrats push GAO to assess impact of CISA staffing cuts

Five House Democrats have asked the Government Accountability Office to evaluate how the reduction of roughly one-third of CISA’s workforce has affected its ability to protect federal networks and critical infrastructure.

A coalition of five House Democrats, including James Walkinshaw, Delia Ramirez, Bennie Thompson, Seth Magaziner and LaMonica McIver, has asked the Government Accountability Office to study the consequences of cutting about one-third of staff at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Addressed to acting Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown, the letter seeks a comprehensive look at changes in workforce numbers, roles, locations and contractor use over the past five years, as well as identification of programs affected by the reductions.

Lawmakers argue that the cuts occurred just as adversaries are intensifying attacks on critical infrastructure, citing recent Iranian-linked cyber incidents across at least twelve states. CISA’s acting director Nick Andersen says the agency plans to hire roughly 330 new employees, while DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin estimates a need for about 600 additional staff, a process that could take a year or more. The request also asks the GAO to assess whether CISA’s data-driven staffing decisions align with its current and future mission needs. The move reflects growing concern that the agency may lack the capacity to keep pace with escalating cyber and physical threats.