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Senators propose multiple cuts to restore National Cybersecurity Center funding
Summary
Senators filed several amendments to shift modest sums (hundreds of thousands to millions) from inmate recreation, behavioral health and other programs to partially restore the National Cybersecurity Center's budget.
Senator Larry Liston introduced a series of amendments intended to direct funding to the National Cybersecurity Center in Colorado Springs, telling colleagues he was seeking “just to find some money for the National Cybersecurity Center.”
Liston and other sponsors proposed redirecting modest portions of line items — for example, a 10% or 5% reduction to certain inmate recreation budgets, a fraction of return‑mail processing funds, and small percentages of behavioral health treatment and detox line items — so that the National Cybersecurity Center could regain portions of its budget that senators said were cut earlier in the process. In one example Liston described an $873,000 request intended to “partially just restore their budget.”
Why it matters: Sponsors argued the center supports workforce and economic development in cybersecurity and helps create long‑term career pathways. Opponents and some colleagues asked staff for precise coding and for talking points explaining how the proposed cuts affect the originating programs; staff repeatedly offered to supply detailed line‑item breakdowns.
The amendments were presented as targeted percentage trims rather than wholesale program eliminations; Liston characterized many as small offsets spread across multiple budget lines. He said several variants of his amendments would source funds from different programs but carry the same objective: routing dollars to cybersecurity workforce development.
Discussion remained at the caucus level; sponsors said they would continue counting votes and returning with refined language before formal committee action.
Ending: Sponsors said they would gather additional support and talk to relevant agency staff for talking points and coding before attempting to move the amendments in committee.
