Restore CISA to safeguard US cybersecurity and democracy

CISA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, is facing severe challenges that undermine its ability to protect US cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. The mass layoffs have resulted in a significant brain drain, with the loss of key personnel and expertise vital to CISA's operations. Crucial support roles have been eliminated, leaving teams overstretched and struggling to perform even routine tasks effectively. International partnerships and information sharing, which are essential for understanding and countering evolving cyber threats, have been strained due to travel restrictions and communication barriers. Important initiatives like open-source software security and artificial intelligence research have been crippled or abandoned entirely. The concerning actions taken against CISA's election security program, including the suspension of its activities and the dismissal of most staff working on this mission, have raised alarms about potential retaliation and a chilling effect on addressing threats to democracy. Overall morale has plummeted, with employees demoralized, fearful, and uncertain about the agency's future capabilities and direction under the current leadership. Given CISA's critical role in safeguarding national security and economic interests, it is imperative to take immediate action to restore the agency's operational capacity and workforce. Allowing this deterioration to continue will only weaken our cybersecurity posture and leave us increasingly vulnerable to adversaries and cybercriminals. Protecting CISA means protecting the security of our nation.