How Project 2025 Would Put US Elections at Risk

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the role and challenges faced by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a civilian agency responsible for protecting critical infrastructure in the United States. It examines a proposal called Project 2025 that aims to restructure CISA, including the controversial idea of moving it to the Department of Transportation.

🙋 Q&A

[01] CISA's Relationship with the Military

1. What is the relationship between CISA and the Department of Defense (DoD) according to the article?

• The article states that the DoD has "impinged on CISA's territory" out of frustration with CISA's constrained resources, meaning the DoD has taken on responsibilities that the article suggests CISA should be handling, such as protecting electrical power grids, water systems, and telecom systems near military bases.

2. Why has the DoD taken on these additional responsibilities?

• According to the article, the DoD has said "We're having to do things that we think CISA should be doing," indicating the DoD believes CISA should be responsible for protecting critical infrastructure near military bases, but CISA's limited resources have forced the DoD to step in.

[02] Project 2025's Proposal to Move CISA

1. What is the key proposal in Project 2025 regarding CISA?

• The most ambitious proposal in Project 2025 is to move CISA into the Department of Transportation as part of a broader initiative to dismantle the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

2. What is the rationale behind this proposal according to the article?

• The article states that the proposal reflects conservatives' desire to shrink the overall size of government, and a belief that moving CISA would "curtail its scope and make it 'a little more manageable'." Some Republicans are said to believe CISA "went beyond its original mandate and [has] become too bloated."

3. How likely is this proposal to succeed?

• The article states that this proposal is "a virtual nonstarter" because the congressional committees with oversight of CISA "won't give up their power in a rapidly growing domain" and that "there's no way that would ever work."

4. Why would moving CISA to the Department of Transportation undermine its effectiveness?

• The article explains that cybersecurity "fits squarely into DHS's homeland-security portfolio," so moving CISA to a department with a different mission "doesn't make a lot of sense" and "would undermine some of the organizational logic." DHS is also better-suited to facilitate the cross-government collaboration that CISA relies on for its twin missions.

[03] Broader Concerns about Government Coordination on Cybersecurity

1. What are the broader concerns about government coordination on cybersecurity issues?

• The article notes that there are "serious concerns that the government as a whole isn't coordinating well on cyber issues," and it's worth examining "whether the system is working well" and "who's responsible for different leadership aspects of cyber."

2. What does the article say about the need for CISA to complete a "force structure assessment"?

• The article states that Congress has spent years waiting for CISA to complete a "force structure assessment" that would better define its mission and the resources and organization needed to accomplish it. This suggests there are ongoing questions about CISA's mission and capabilities that have not been fully resolved.

[04] Criticisms of Project 2025

1. How does the article characterize Project 2025's understanding of CISA's mission and focus?

• The article states that "even as Project 2025 appears to misunderstand some aspects of CISA's mission and focus disproportionately on others, the document also misses opportunities to recommend meaningful reforms."

2. What specific criticisms does the article make of Project 2025?

• The article quotes a retired Navy rear admiral who says Project 2025 is "full of little tantrums" and "shows a lack of understanding of how federal government works."
• The article also quotes an expert who calls it "embarrassing" to see Project 2025 "call for essentially the hollowing out of CISA," and expresses concern that its implementation could create a "perilous feedback loop" for the agency by reducing its mission scope and importance, leading to lower morale, staff departures, and less congressional funding.