Congressional Scrutiny of CISA Leadership Amid Workforce Reductions and CIO Reassignment Attempt
The acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Madhu Gottumukkala, faced escalating scrutiny over leadership and personnel decisions as the agency manages ongoing threats to federal networks and critical infrastructure. Reporting describes an attempted management-directed reassignment of CISA CIO Robert Costello—a process that can force an employee to transfer within DHS or resign—that triggered immediate objections from career staff and senior political appointees, leading DHS headquarters to pause and then halt the action the same day.
Lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee pressed Gottumukkala on broader staffing reductions and whether CISA retains sufficient capacity to execute its mission, including questions about efforts to push out staff and a reported attempt to remove the CIO. A chart entered into the hearing record cited a drop in personnel from 3,387 to 2,389 (a reduction of 998), figures that aligned closely with Gottumukkala’s testimony; he also cited a 7.5% attrition rate last year and asserted the agency has “the required staff,” while members warned that cutbacks could weaken national cyber defenses and increase exposure of critical systems and infrastructure.
Timeline
Jan 21, 2026
House lawmakers question CISA leader over staffing cuts and personnel decisions
At a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, lawmakers from both parties scrutinized Gottumukkala over CISA staffing reductions, alleged pressure tactics to drive resignations, and the reported effort to remove Costello. Testimony and materials entered into the record indicated CISA staffing had fallen from 3,387 before President Trump's inauguration to 2,389 by mid-December, while Gottumukkala said the agency still had sufficient staff.
Jan 20, 2026
DHS halts attempted reassignment of CISA CIO Robert Costello
Madhu Gottumukkala, acting head of CISA, pursued a management-directed reassignment of CIO Robert Costello that would have required him to move elsewhere in DHS or resign. After sharp internal objections from career staff and senior political appointees, DHS headquarters paused and then stopped the action the same day.
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