Cybersecurity agency that clashed with Trump one of the first hit with federal firings due to shutdown

The ongoing partial government shutdown has led to permanent downsizing at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), according to sources familiar with the matter. The reductions in force (RIFs) began on Friday and will result in the termination of some of CISA’s 2,540 employees, as well as thousands more across the federal bureaucracy. This move comes after President Trump threatened to target offices favored by Democrats if the party’s senators did not agree to reopen the government.

CISA had initially planned to keep only 889 employees on duty during a shutdown, furloughing 65% of its workforce. The downsizing is expected to have a significant impact on the agency’s operations and capabilities. CISA, a component of the Department of Homeland Security, was previously led by Chris Krebs during Trump’s first term. Krebs publicly refuted Trump’s claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, asserting that it was the most secure election in American history.

One administration source suggested that CISA had been involved in spreading disinformation, leading to the decision to downsize the agency. The RIFs are part of broader efforts to reduce the federal workforce, with up to 750,000 employees being furloughed each day during the shutdown. In total, around 2 million people work for the federal government, and many of them could be affected by the permanent firings sought by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The shutdown has also become a battleground for political negotiations, with Senate Democrats using it as leverage to extend Obamacare health insurance subsidies set to expire on December 31. Republicans have demanded a temporary funding bill pass before any healthcare deal is reached. There are disagreements over proposals to restore subsidies for asylum seekers and hospital reimbursements for illegal immigrants, with Republicans pushing back against Democratic initiatives.

White House budget director Russ Vought announced the start of permanent job reductions at federal agencies after Senate Democrats blocked a government reopening once again. The move comes as part of the administration’s response to the ongoing shutdown and its efforts to address the budgetary challenges facing the government. Vought confirmed the beginning of the RIFs in a recent tweet, signaling a new phase in the government’s response to the shutdown.