Congressional Funding Package Targets CISA Staffing, Election Security, and Federal Cyber Modernization
A DHS “minibus” appropriations package would direct the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to maintain “sufficient” staffing to execute its statutory missions, including support to federal civilian agencies and state/local/tribal/territorial partners. The accompanying congressional language also calls for maintaining at least 10 regional field offices and having at least one Cyber Security Advisor per state or territory, while continuing to fund election security activities (including regional election security advisers and the Elections Infrastructure ISAC). The bill would provide $2.6B for CISA, down from roughly $3B previously cited in the reporting.
The same funding package would extend authorization for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF)—which had lapsed—through Sept. 30 (end of FY2026), enabling continued federal IT modernization investments that are often tied to cyber risk reduction. It would also extend several cybersecurity-related statutory authorities, including the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015, preserving a legal framework for private-sector sharing of cyber threat intelligence with U.S. government entities under specified liability protections. Separately, CISA leadership turmoil was reported as internal pushback halted an attempted management-directed reassignment of CISA CIO Robert Costello, adding to concerns about decision-making and stability amid ongoing pressure from persistent threats to federal networks and critical infrastructure.
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US Lawmakers Seek Short-Term Extension of Key CISA Cybersecurity Authorities Amid Agency Leadership Turmoil
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