Democrats Press DHS to Restore $39.6 Million for Election-Security Programs

Senator Alex Padilla of California and Representative Joseph Morelle of New York, the ranking members of the Senate Rules Committee and the House Administration Committee, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and acting Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) director Nick Anderson demanding that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reinstate more than $39.6 million earmarked for election-security activities in the fiscal-year-2026 DHS appropriations bill. The lawmakers argue that the funds are needed to revive the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC), a voluntary resource that provides state, local, tribal and territorial election officials with intelligence on cyber and disinformation threats.

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According to the letter, the Trump administration has eliminated “hundreds of CISA personnel” and reduced the agency’s budget, leaving the EI-ISAC operating under a paid-membership model after cuts in March 2025. Padilla and Morelle contend that this model is unaffordable for “under-resourced communities” and that the loss of staff hampers the agency’s ability to support election officials ahead of the November midterm elections.

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The Democrats cite a broadened threat environment that includes Russia, Iran, China and other state and non-state actors. They note that Iran has reportedly conducted sophisticated cyber attacks on U.S. water infrastructure and on nuclear facilities in the United Kingdom, while Russia and China possess growing capabilities for online election interference. The letter also warns that rapid advances in artificial-intelligence models are accelerating the discovery of software vulnerabilities, further complicating defensive efforts.

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They assert that without restored funding and staffing, federal officials cannot adequately protect election infrastructure from cyber-based attacks and misinformation campaigns as the midterm elections approach. DHS and CISA have not responded to NPR’s request for comment.

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