IC Workforce & Organization — 2026-06-26

DHS Chief Says Trump Has Met With Potential CISA Director Nominee as Agency Plans to Hire 600

BLUFMullin's dual-committee testimony likely signals a formal CISA director nomination within 90 days, unlocking a workforce rebuild stalled since the term began.

Testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday and the House Appropriations subcommittee on Thursday, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed that President Trump has met with a potential CISA director nominee but declined to name the individual 1Nextgov/FCW" data-url="https://www.nextgov.com/people/2026/06/trump-soon-nominate-cisa-head-dhs-secretary-says/413947/" data-rt="secondary" data-otype="trade_press">234. Mullin said the agency needs approximately 600 additional personnel to reach a target of 2,800, up from its current 2,200, and estimated the rebuilding effort would take roughly a year 14. Nextgov/FCW reported that as of early May, Mullin had submitted a candidate name to the White House that was not Tom Parker, an IBM security executive previously identified as under consideration 2.

Analysis
A formal CISA director nomination is likely within 90 days, clearing the primary gate on an agency workforce rebuild that has been stalled at 2,200 personnel for the duration of the second Trump term. Mullin's explicit commitment before two House committees, combined with a candidate already submitted to the White House in early May, signals the nomination process has moved from deliberation to finalization. Senate confirmation scheduling and candidate vetting dynamics outside DHS control remain the primary slippage risk within that window. Moderate confidence rests on Mullin's direct testimony before two committees, corroborated by C-SPAN primary coverage; the candidate's identity and confirmation trajectory remain invisible to open-source collection.
5 sources
  1. DHS chief says president has met with potential CISA nominee; agency plans to hire 600 - The Record
  2. Trump to soon nominate CISA head, DHS secretary says - Nextgov/FCW
  3. Mullin testifies on DHS contract reviews, CISA staffing - Federal News Network
  4. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin pinpoints optimal CISA staffing levels - CyberScoop
  5. Homeland Security Secretary Mullin Testifies on DHS Oversight - C-SPAN

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