Democrats Push for Review of CISA's Workforce After Major Staff Losses

A group of House Democrats introduced legislation this week requiring the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to carry out a full assessment of its workforce, following the departure of around 1,000 employees during President Trump's second term. The proposed CISA Force Structure Assessment Act would examine whether the agency still has enough trained and qualified personnel to carry out its mission after budget cuts and staff losses.

Rep. James Walkinshaw, the bill's lead sponsor, said that as cyber threats grow more sophisticated and new technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing reshape the risk landscape, Congress needs clear evidence of whether CISA has the people and resources to protect Americans. The bill is also backed by senior Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee.

The assessment would cover a wide range of CISA functions, including the security of federal IT systems, support for state and local governments, threat-hunting and incident response capabilities, protection of critical infrastructure, and international cooperation. Some lawmakers and experts have expressed concern that staffing cuts may already be weakening CISA's ability to perform these core duties.