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Press conference warns CISA staffing changes and state budget cuts could leave Washington counties without federal election cybersecurity support
Summary
At a press conference, Speaker 1 said recent administrative leaves at CISA and proposed state budget cuts removed $6,000,000 in biennial funding for election-security programs, warned of increased costs and deepfake threats, and urged Congress and the legislature to restore clarity and funding.
Speaker 1, the press conference speaker, said recent moves at the federal level have left state and local election officials uncertain who will provide election cybersecurity support after CISA personnel, including Region 10's election security advisor, "were suddenly placed on administrative leave." The speaker urged immediate action from lawmakers and warned the change could disrupt services for counties that rely on federal assistance.
The speaker emphasized CISA's role in providing technical help to "all 39 Washington counties," calling the agency a "trusted partner" that supplies expertise, security assessments and low-cost cybersecurity tools many jurisdictions cannot afford. The election infrastructure information sharing and analysis center, the speaker said, delivers "real time threat analysis and cyber security protections," including free services for 15 identified "cyber underserved" counties.
Why it matters: Speaker 1 argued that without federal support the state would face higher costs and greater risk. "Without them, securing these networks would cost the state 3 times as much," the speaker said, and noted the state's budget could not sustain that increase. The speaker also warned of modern disinformation tactics, citing a "deep fake video falsely depicting Utah governor, Spencer Cox," and other audio deepfakes as tools that can undermine voter trust.
Details and responses: Responding to reporters, Speaker 1 said former governor Inslee's budget proposal "had removed, or stopped funding the $6,000,000 for the biennium" intended for the ISR (information security response team) and the CEP (civic engagement program). On whether federal funds such as HAVA were cut, the speaker said, "I haven't heard anything," and said alerts usually originate from CISA's Region 10 office; the speaker recalled a personal phone call from CISA after a county was offline for about 100 hours.
State finances: The speaker said the state had hoped to expand security funding "up to about $10,000,000" but now is trying to secure at least the $6,000,000 to continue operations and will "have to do analysis on whether or not we're going to have to step up to the plate" to backfill any lost federal services.
Requests to federal and state lawmakers: Speaker 1 said they sent a letter to the congressional delegation asking legislators to "reinstate the CISA team or communicate who will take on their roles and responsibility," to confirm continued funding for the information-sharing center, and to "engage the Secretaries of State across the country and their teams before making changes that impact election security." The speaker also said a planned briefing with CISA and the FBI for legislative leaders was canceled because the agencies could no longer support it.
What happens next: Speaker 1 said the office is talking with state fiscal chairs and the Office of Financial Management, will provide the press with the letter and a one-page summary of federal election cybersecurity funding, and urged the legislature and Congress to clarify and restore the technical and financial support that counties rely on.
