Recognizing the critical missions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and expressing concern that the systematic reduction of its career workforce has undermined those missions and endangered the safety and security of United States citizens.

Key Points

• This resolution highlights major job losses at three key agencies: FEMA, which handles disasters; CISA, which protects against cyberattacks; and TSA, which manages airport security. It claims these cuts make the country less safe.
• FEMA has lost over 3,000 workers through buyouts and layoffs, leaving it with very few staff to handle hurricane season. Internal plans suggest the agency could eventually lose half of its total workforce, including many disaster response experts.
• The cybersecurity agency, CISA, has lost nearly 30 percent of its staff. This includes the total elimination of a program that helped protect federal elections from outside interference and a large reduction in staff who help private companies stay safe online.
• At airports, TSA officers have faced pay delays during government shutdowns, leading to hundreds of resignations. This has caused security wait times to stretch over two hours at some major airports as callout rates for officers increase.
• The resolution argues these cuts were made without permission from Congress and against existing funding laws. It calls on the administration to stop the layoffs, provide a full report on the job losses, and name a permanent leader for FEMA.

Impact Analysis

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