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In October 2023, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, then-chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, said the House Speaker vacancy was getting in the way of legislative work. His immediate cybersecurity priority, he said, was protecting the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) during the appropriations process. His remarks described his assessment at the time—not a finding that every cybersecurity bill had stalled.
What Garbarino said about the Speaker vacancy
Speaking on the sidelines of a Punchbowl News panel after Kevin McCarthy was removed as Speaker, Garbarino said “the lack of a speaker is going to keep us from doing legislation right now.” The statement was a warning about the effect of the leadership impasse on the House’s ability to move legislation; it did not quantify how many cybersecurity measures were delayed or establish that the vacancy alone caused every delay. CyberScoop’s October 19, 2023 report covered the remarks.
Why CISA funding was his stated priority
Garbarino said his next priority once a Speaker was selected would be making sure “CISA is protected in the appropriations process.” He elaborated: “the next step, which I think is the most important thing, is to make sure that CISA is protected in the appropriations process.” The concern arose during debate over the FY2024 Homeland Security appropriations bill.
The FY2024 House proposal
CyberScoop reported that the House proposal called for $2.9 billion for CISA. That was the amount in the proposed bill as reported in 2023, not proof that CISA received that amount in enacted funding. The proposal also included a rider barring funds for CISA efforts to counter misinformation. The report said the rider had rankled House Democrats. Sen. Rand Paul, meanwhile, argued that CISA had too much power and funding; that was his political position, not an established finding.
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Garbarino’s view of CISA’s role in a cyberattack
Garbarino also questioned how the Biden administration organized cybersecurity leadership. He praised then-CISA Director Jen Easterly and said he wanted the administration to let her lead more. He described uncertainty over who would be the administration’s go-to person during a major cyberattack as “a little bit of a mess right now.” At another event, he said, “CISA should be the center for cyber in the administration.” These were Garbarino’s views about the agency’s leadership role, not a formal change in CISA’s authority.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened in the next House DHS funding debate
The House’s later FY2025 Homeland Security appropriations debate offers a limited follow-up. On June 26, 2024, the House rejected, 206–208, an amendment to H.R. 8752 that would have maintained FY2024 enacted CISA funding. The House passed H.R. 8752 on June 28, 2024. The official bill record for H.R. 8752 documents those actions. They show what the House did on the amendment and bill; they do not establish the measure’s final enactment or determine CISA’s current appropriations.
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