Cybersecurity Policy Report, House Democrats Ask GAO to Investigate Impact of CISA’s Workforce Reductions, (Aug 21, 2026)
The loss of one-third of its workforce warrants an investigation into whether the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency can cope with escalating cyber attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure, according to Rep. Bennie Thompson (D., Miss.), ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, and four of his Democratic colleagues.
“At precisely the moment when our adversaries are accelerating attacks against critical infrastructure, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the nation's lead civilian cyber defense agency, has lost nearly one-third of its workforce, raising serious concerns about the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission,” the lawmakers said in a letter to Orice Brown, acting head of the Government Accountability Office.
“Financial systems, hospitals, and water treatment facilities have all been among numerous recent targets, and the threats of such attacks are increasing,” they noted.
Nearly 1,000 CISA personnel have been fired or encouraged to leave the agency so far during President Trump’s second term, and the president’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal calls for further cuts in CISA’s workforce from 3,290 to 2,528 (CPR, April 3).
“Yet, little is known about the impact of these workforce reductions on CISA’s programs and services or what processes and plans the agency has in place to ensure the agency is hiring the right people to address lost skill sets and meet mission demands,” the lawmakers told Ms. Brown.
“Given these concerns, we respectfully request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examine the impact of recent staffing reductions and programmatic cuts at CISA on the agency’s ability to carry out its mission requirements, protect critical infrastructure, and respond to evolving cyber and physical threats,” they said.
Along with Rep. Thompson, the letter was signed by Rep. Delia Ramirez (D., Ill.), the ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee’s cybersecurity and infrastructure protection subcommittee, and Reps. James Walkinshaw (D., Va.), Seth Magaziner (D., R.I.), and LaMonica McIver (D., N.J.).
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