Lawmakers press DHS on CISA cuts and timing of president's cyber plan

Members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee pressed Secretary Noem on proposed reductions to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in the department's fiscal planning and asked when the administration's broader cyber strategy would be released.

Ranking member Underwood asked directly for the timeline of the president's cyber plan and challenged cuts to CISA's base budget, including a nearly half‑billion dollar reduction referenced by committee members. "On what date can we expect to receive the president's cyber plan?" she asked. Noem replied that the plan "will be coming out shortly" and said she has advised the president on it.

Noem described prior CISA activity she viewed as outside core cyber defense — citing concerns about the agency's response to the SALT/Volt typhoon intrusions — and said she expects the agency to focus on "hunt and harden" work with state and local partners to secure critical infrastructure. She told the committee she was alarmed when briefed that CISA had been aware of the incidents but "didn't know necessarily how they had happened yet or how to stop them".

Why it matters: Committee members warned that cutting CISA's workforce or resources could reduce federal capacity to assist states, critical‑infrastructure operators and small businesses facing cyber intrusions. Noem said reallocation would remove non‑mission activities and refocus the agency on core cybersecurity responsibilities.

Next steps: Members asked DHS for a documented, component‑level explanation of proposed base reductions to CISA and a timeline for the president's cyber plan; Noem committed to follow up. The committee flagged mental‑health and workforce programs for continued support and asked for funding details.