The White House has proposed a $707 million budget cut for the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), aiming to shrink the agency and concentrate its mission on core cybersecurity functions. The proposed budget would reduce CISA's annual funding from approximately $2.9 billion to $2.4 billion.
Funding cuts are specifically targeting programs related to election security, misinformation, external engagement, and state/local election infrastructure. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) argues these programs fall outside federal core responsibilities, suggesting election security should be a state-level concern and that some information efforts risk overreach.
Instead, the budget prioritizes technical cybersecurity functions over coordination-heavy and public-facing initiatives. Funds are being redirected to federal network defense and threat detection, allocating $1.4 billion for protecting federal civilian systems and defending against nation-state threats.
The proposed budget also entails a significant reduction in CISA's workforce, from around 3,700 employees to an estimated 2,600. These job cuts primarily impact divisions focused on stakeholder engagement, international coordination, and risk management, with core cybersecurity operations seeing smaller reductions. DHS states this restructuring aims to eliminate duplicative programs and improve efficiency through automation.
Critics express concern that these cuts could weaken collaboration between federal, state, and local entities, potentially creating gaps in election security and information integrity. Experts warn that reducing federal support at a time of heightened nation-state threats could leave society more vulnerable.