Padilla, Morelle Demand DHS Restore Cybersecurity Funding to Protect State and Local Election Offices

DHS has failed to follow congressional direction to restore funding to help states with cyber threats, misinformation for 2026 midterms WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, and U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.-25), Ranking Member of the House Administration Committee, the top Democrats on the Senate and House congressional committees with jurisdiction over federal elections, demanded the Trump Administration immediately restore funding to the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC), which helps state and local election officials protect federal elections from cybersecurity threats and election mis- and disinformation campaigns, and provide an update on the rehiring of critical election security staff in regions across the country. In a letter directed to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Acting Director Nicholas Andersen, Padilla and Morelle highlighted the national security threats that underscore the importance of ensuring election cybersecurity safeguards for the upcoming midterm elections, including Trump’s war with Iran and recent reported cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. “Following the removal of hundreds of CISA personnel and attempts by the Trump Administration to slash the agency’s budget, CISA is only just now beginning to take steps to reestablish working relationships with election officials and rehire critical staff ahead of the 2026 midterms,” wrote Ranking Members Padilla and Morelle . “This is particularly disturbing at a time when our nation is at war with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has reportedly engaged in sophisticated cybersecurity attacks, including on water infrastructure in the United States and nuclear energy facilities in the United Kingdom. Russia, China, and other foreign and non-state actors also have significant cyber and online election interference capabilities, which are likely increasing with advances in artificial intelligence technology.” Padilla and Morelle urged the restoration of federal funding for the EI-ISAC to enable more state and local governments to participate in this voluntary partnership between the Center for Internet Security (CIS), CISA, and the Election Infrastructure Subsector Government Coordinating Council (GCC). Many state and local election offices benefited from this partnership, but participation has dropped after the Trump Administration terminated federal funding for it in 2025 under then DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, leaving many jurisdictions in the dark about cyber threats. In 2024, the EI-ISAC provided roughly 3,700 election jurisdictions access to a real-time operations center, curated threat intelligence feeds, intrusion analysis, and rapid incident response. Federal funding cuts are expected to force out two-thirds of the states and thousands of local governments that currently partner with EI-ISAC. Congress directed DHS to restore federal funding to the EI-ISAC, previously around $10 million annually, when it enacted the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Department of Homeland Security funding law. With that funding, local election offices were to receive services such as detection, coordination, and/or mitigation of cybersecurity attacks or mis- and disinformation campaigns, all at no cost to state and local governments. “Over four months ago, in April, Congress provided clear, bipartisan instructions in the report accompanying FY 2026 DHS Appropriations ‘to continue Election Security Program activities funded in fiscal year 2024, including Election Security Advisors in each CISA Region and the continuation of the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC),’” continued Ranking Members Padilla and Morelle . “However, under your leadership, CISA has still not provided any of the over $39.6 million in appropriated funds to the EI-ISAC.” Padilla and Morelle highlighted that without this funding, the EI-ISAC is unable to provide security training to under-resourced communities that cannot opt-in to its paid membership. They requested the agencies release this funding, ensure CISA is sufficiently staffed with election roles prior to the midterm elections, and provide answers about the delay in FY26 federal funds. “The failure to restore this funding as directed by Congress is a disservice to the thousands of election jurisdictions across this country,” Ranking Members Padilla and Morelle concluded . “As a result, we urgently remind you of your responsibility to ensure that funding is restored to the EI-ISAC immediately and request a response by September 9, 2026 on the status of the disbursement of this funding and the hiring of critical election roles at CISA.” As Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight over federal elections and California’s former Secretary of State, Padilla has been a vocal leader in protecting our elections. Last month, with less than 100 days until the midterm elections, Padilla led a letter to the Department of Justice and state’s chief election officers against illegal voter list maintenance practices that may remove eligible voters from state voter registration lists’ during the National Voter Registration Act’s 90-day “quiet period.” Padilla has also been strongly opposed to the significant workforce reductions at CISA and the lack of transparency regarding the agency’s elections-related services. Along with Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Morelle, Padilla has written to CISA regarding staff cuts , internal review documents , access that was provided to the so-called Department of Government Efficiency,and leadership vacancies . Ranking Members Padilla and Morelle continue to fight efforts by the Trump Administration to undermine federal agencies’ election security work. In addition to warning CISA leadership, Padilla and Morelle sounded the alarm 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 letter is available here and below: Dear Secretary Mullin and Acting Director Andersen: With the midterm elections occurring in two months, we write with grave concern that time is running out for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to act to assist state and local election officials in protecting our elections from cyber and mis- and disinformation threats. Following the removal of hundreds of CISA personnel and attempts by the Trump Administration to slash the agency’s budget, CISA is now only just beginning to take steps to reestablish working relationships with election officials and rehire critical staff ahead of the 2026 midterms. This is particularly disturbing at a time when our nation is at war with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has reportedly engaged in sophisticated cybersecurity attacks, including on water infrastructure in the United States and nuclear energy facilities in the United Kingdom.  Russia, China, and other foreign and non-state actors also have significant cyber and online election interference capabilities, which are likely increasing with advances in artificial intelligence technology. While there is a long way to go to repair trust with election officials and find qualified candidates to fill these important roles – work that will not be accomplished before November 3, 2026 – we write to remind you that Congress has directed DHS and CISA to immediately support state and local election officials through the restoration of federal funds to the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC). We urge you to follow that direction immediately and explain the delay as to why federal funds have not yet been provided in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. Over four months ago, in April, Congress provided clear, bipartisan instructions in the report accompanying FY 2026 DHS Appropriations “to continue Election Security Program activities funded in fiscal year 2024, including Election Security Advisors in each CISA Region and the continuation of the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC).”  However, under your leadership, CISA has still not provided any of the over $39.6 million in appropriated funds to the EI-ISAC. Administrations of both parties have recognized that election security is national security and that the federal government has a responsibility to support state and local election offices in their efforts to protect against cyber and mis- and disinformation threats, some of which come from foreign actors. For years, the EI-ISAC provided election security services to local election offices at no cost before the federal government abruptly cut their federal funding in March 2025. While the EI-ISAC has continued providing some services to a limited number of offices through a paid membership model, it now lacks the reach it once had and is unable to share this critical information around cyber threats and security training to under-resourced communities who have not, or cannot, opt in to this new model. The failure to restore this funding as directed by Congress is a disservice to the thousands of election jurisdictions across this country. As a result, we urgently remind you of your responsibility to ensure that funding is restored to the EI-ISAC immediately and request a response by September 9, 2026 on the status of the disbursement of this funding and the hiring of critical election roles at CISA. Thank you for your urgent attention to this important matter. Sincerely, ###