CISA workforce cuts slammed by Democrat legislator

Acting Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Madhu Gottumukkala has been urged by House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Ranking Member Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., to halt ongoing efforts to reduce the agency's workforce that commenced under the second Trump administration, according to Cybersecurity Dive.

Aside from bringing back all employees who have been reassigned or dismissed, CISA should also explain the impact of its workforce cuts, said Swalwell in a letter to Gottumukkala.

"...[C]ybersecurity threats pose a significant and growing risk to our national security. 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," Swalwell added.

Such correspondence has not merited any comment from the Department of Homeland Security but a spokesperson for the department challenged Swalwell and his fellow Democrats to end the government shutdown to ensure that CISA performs its mandate.