Ranking Members Morelle, Padilla Continue Pressing for Answers on Trump’s Pause on Critical Election Security Work

Lawmakers demand copy of CISA’s review of its election security work after insufficient responses, blown deadlines to multiple letters regarding CISA firings and termination of election security efforts

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Joe Morelle (NY-25), Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, sent another letter demanding answers from senior officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on the status of their election-related work, including a copy of CISA’s review of its election security work. 

“These staff and funding cuts raise grave concerns about the security and integrity of upcoming elections, where states and localities with limited budgets must protect their systems against foreign nation-states,” wrote the lawmakers. “Yet, during this time, we have received no additional updates or information from CISA about the status of this review.”

The Ranking Members sent two previous letters to CISA leadership regarding CISA’s pause on all election security-focused activities, the termination of funding for the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC), and the firings of CISA employees who previously worked on election security, including misinformation and disinformation issues. The lawmakers note in their letter that the agency’s response “offered little insight” into the status of election security work at CISA and that CISA still has not fulfilled their request for a copy of the agency’s review more than a month after the deadline.

CISA reportedly completed its review of all election security-related funding, products, services, and positions early last month and shared it with officials at the Department of Homeland Security. After the Department of Government Efficiency was deployed to CISA, the agency is also preparing to fire a third of its workforce—1,300 employees—threatening vital election security efforts. Padilla and Morelle also expressed that the permanent termination without notice of federal funds for EI-ISAC will lead to assistance for state and local election officials “being systematically dismantled.”

The lawmakers concluded by reminding CISA’s leadership of their responsibility to the congressional committees of jurisdiction. In addition to a copy of CISA’s review, Padilla and Morelle also asked for a substantive response to their two prior letters and a briefing on the findings of CISA’s assessment.

“The Department and CISA have a responsibility to be transparent and responsive to the House and Senate Committees with jurisdiction over federal elections regarding proposed changes that threaten election integrity,” concluded the lawmakers. “To that end, we expect a comprehensive response, including the final or latest copy of CISA’s review, no later than Friday, May 2.”

Ranking Members Padilla and Morelle have strongly opposed efforts by the Trump Administration to undermine federal agencies’ election security work. In addition to their previous letters to CISA leadership, Padilla and Morelle expressed serious concerns about the dangerous implications for elections following President Trump’s executive order purporting to bring independent regulatory agencies under total control of the White House.

Full text of the letter is available here.

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