House OKs Homeland Security spending legislation

Legislation funding the Department of Homeland Security has been approved by the House months after being deferred due to immigration enforcement concerns, according to Government Technology.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency would be granted nearly $2.6 billion in the spending bill, which is an almost $300 million reduction from its fiscal year 2025 budget, coinciding with the Trump administration's significant staffing cuts since the beginning of 2025. Whether the Biden-era State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, which had been renewed until 2033 through the PILLAR Act, would receive continuous funding from CISA remains uncertain. However, the Trump administration previously emphasized that state and local governments should be at the forefront of defending nationwide cybersecurity.

Such a development comes weeks after Congress was urged by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers to approve $300 million in funding for SLCGP for fiscal year 2027. Multiple state CIOs had already sought improvements to the program last year.