More layoffs and contract terminations are likely to be the outlook for the rest of the second Trump administration, but modernization efforts appear to have a bright future, according to Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va.
However, those modernization efforts are on hold, the representative told reporters during a Thursday press briefing held by the Professional Services Council, explaining that the pause in federal contracting prevents the country from “moving forward.”
“Innovation in the federal government is paused during the shutdown. Obviously, given the speed of innovation and the speed at which our adversaries around the globe – state and non-state actors – are innovating, a pause is a negative,” said Walkinshaw.
The lawmaker said the pause is temporary, noting that while there are no structured conversations taking place between Democrats and Republicans on reopening the government, “there are more conversations taking place this week than there were last week.”
Walkinshaw said that he is more worried about the future of the U.S. national security posture, and “the implications of the [Trump administration’s] policies longer term.”
Reported reassignments of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) staff to other Department of Homeland Security divisions focused on immigration enforcement are one of the ways that Walkinshaw said he foresees the Trump administration’s efforts leading to large-scale repercussions.
Walkinshaw and several other Democrats sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requesting answers on those reassignments. The representative confirmed that his office and others have not received a response.
“They seem to have shut down the Cybersecurity Fellows Program,” Walkinshaw said. “All of those things I think weaken our cybersecurity posture.”
“If you want to succeed, you have to have good people and good technology,” Walkinshaw stressed, adding that the “Trump administration today would probably say … they’ve got good technology into the government, but a lot of the good people that fire them are driven out, and I just don’t think you can succeed that way.”
Walkinshaw also noted that despite layoffs – such as those conducted earlier this year and during the government shutdown – CISA still has “good people” who are “doing the best with the limited resources that they have.”
“I think it’s a setback,” Walkinshaw told reporters.
Once the government reopens and the House is brought back in session, the lawmaker said he expects to see bipartisan progress toward modernization and cybersecurity efforts, especially in the House Oversight Committee.
“I think there are opportunities for bipartisan work, and not a lot of it has happened in this Congress, but I’m hopeful that that will happen when the House returns. I’m going to be pushing for that,” Walkinshaw said.