IC Oversight & Authorities — 2026-05-24

Rep Thompson Opposes Making CISA Independent from DHS Despite Ramirez Legislation Push

BLUFRamirez's standalone-CISA bill is very unlikely to become law before the 119th Congress ends, as Thompson's opposition strips the minority of the unified Democratic backing any cross-aisle push would demand.

Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL), selected on April 28 as the top cyber Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee 1, is drafting legislation to make CISA a standalone agency outside DHS, a Ramirez spokesperson told Inside Cybersecurity 2. The spokesperson said Ramirez believes cybersecurity, like FEMA, needs its own agency structure to avoid politicization 2. House Homeland Security ranking member Bennie Thompson (D-MS) told Inside Cybersecurity he opposes the move, stating he does not support "dismantling DHS and removing CISA from the Department" even while acknowledging ICE and CBP have been "weaponized" under the Trump administration 1.

Analysis
Legislation making CISA a standalone agency outside DHS is very unlikely to pass Congress and be signed into law by the end of the 119th Congress. Thompson's opposition, as ranking Democrat on the originating committee, denies Ramirez the unified minority footing that cross-aisle coalition-building requires. Republican committee leadership has shown no interest in DHS restructuring, and minority-only bills without Senate companion activity rarely reach a floor vote. Moderate confidence rests on direct-quote sourcing from both principals, though the assessment carries no visibility into Republican positioning or Senate-side appetite. Thompson's resistance may reflect a tactical preference to preserve DHS's structural integrity as counter-narrative to the Trump administration rather than a judgment about CISA's operational fit within the department. CISA leadership and congressional appropriators must decide whether to plan for a structural transition or continue budgeting under DHS's umbrella through the 119th Congress.

2 sources

Rep. Thompson pushes back on potential legislation to make CISA independent from DHS - Inside Cybersecurity
Rep. Ramirez considers legislation making CISA independent from DHS, amid call to revamp department activities - Inside Cybersecurity