Thompson Vows to Rebuild CISA

The incoming House Homeland Security chair says restoring the cybersecurity agency after staff cuts is his top priority.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Cybersecurity

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a plain columned government building on an open plain, joined by a single thin cable line, evoking national cybersecurity infrastructure. — Congressional Democrats vow to rebuild CISA after the administration forced out nearly one-third of the agency's staff and eliminated key public-private partnerships. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Rep. Bennie Thompson named rebuilding the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as his top priority for the House Homeland Security Committee. The Administration forced out nearly one-third of CISA's staff, and last year's elimination of key public-private partnerships diminished the agency's cross-sector coordination.

Why it matters

CISA coordinates federal defense of critical infrastructure against cyber threats, and reduced staffing and partnerships weaken information sharing with private operators. Democrats' House majority gives the committee new leverage to press for restoration and oversight of DHS records.

Nearly one-third of CISA's staff were forced out, and the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council was among the public-private partnerships eliminated last year. The statement does not specify how many positions will be restored or on what timeline.

The players

Bennie Thompson

Mississippi Democrat who is expected to chair the House Homeland Security Committee when the new Congress convenes in January.

Markwayne Mullin

Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, the department that oversees CISA.

Maggie Hassan

New Hampshire Democratic senator who signaled interest in chairing the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

The details

Rep. Thompson conveyed his priorities in a statement, and he sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin citing the Federal Records Act. The letter demands written assurances that DHS records have not been destroyed or made inaccessible. Committee Democrats also plan to make CISA's recently unveiled ANCHOR-CI framework for public-private information sharing on critical infrastructure threats operational.

July 1, 2026: CISA unveiled the ANCHOR-CI public-private framework.
Last year (2025): Key public-private partnerships, including CIPAC, were eliminated.
November 3, 2026: Elections handed Democrats a House majority.
November 5, 2026: Thompson sent his letter to DHS Secretary Mullin.
November 11, 2026: Deadline for DHS written assurances on records.

Roadmap

Thompson's letter invokes the Federal Records Act to demand that DHS account for its records as CISA's workforce and partnerships shrink. The push comes as Democrats prepare to take control of House oversight of the department.

Operators of power grids, water systems, and other critical infrastructure depend on CISA for threat information, so reduced staffing could slow alerts they receive. State and local governments also rely on the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, a $1 billion program that expires this year.

The takeaway

Restoring CISA's staffing and partnerships is the central test for whether critical infrastructure gets timely cyber threat warnings. Watch the November 11 deadline and the committee's ANCHOR-CI work for early signals of direction.

What happens next

The Democratic-majority Congress reconvenes in January 2027, when committee chairs take office, and DHS's written records assurances are due by November 11, 2026.