Two leading Democrat lawmakers are warning President Donald Trump's acting director of national intelligence against implementing significant cuts "that are more appropriately left to a Senate-confirmed Director."
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, sent a sharply worded letter Monday to acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte as reports circulated that he's preparing major staffing reductions at his office.
The warning came as Pulte, a close Trump ally who was installed Friday after the president delayed the confirmation process for a permanent nominee, is expected to announce substantial workforce cuts as part of the administration's effort to streamline the federal government and reduce bureaucracy.
According to The New York Times and Politico, Pulte has considered firing or placing on leave hundreds of intelligence employees, including personnel at the National Counterterrorism Center.
The exact scope of the reductions remains unclear.
Warner and Himes argued that any major restructuring should be postponed until a Senate-confirmed director is in place.
"Making significant structural changes to ODNI, to include a reduction in force, is not an appropriate course of action for anyone in an acting capacity," the lawmakers wrote.
The Democrats also expressed concern that Pulte could declassify sensitive intelligence information and urged him to follow established procedures and consult career intelligence officials before releasing classified material.
They further reminded him of his obligation to preserve all government records, including electronic communications and text messages.
The dispute reflects a broader clash over Trump's efforts to reshape the intelligence community during his second term.
Former DNI Tulsi Gabbard had already reduced her office's workforce by roughly 40%, arguing that the agency had become bloated and inefficient.
Trump has signaled support for even deeper reductions, saying in a recent Wall Street Journal interview that he wants Pulte to "start the process" of reducing the size of the agency.
Trump told the Journal that Pulte's temporary status gives him greater flexibility to implement rapid reforms.
Supporters of the administration's approach argue that the intelligence bureaucracy has expanded dramatically since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and that streamlining overlapping agencies could improve accountability and efficiency while reducing costs.
Critics, however, contend that aggressive personnel cuts could weaken intelligence operations and counterterrorism capabilities.
Pulte, who continues to serve as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has not publicly detailed his plans for ODNI.
The White House has defended him as a trusted Trump appointee capable of carrying out the president's agenda.
For now, congressional Democrats are signaling that any major personnel actions or declassification efforts undertaken by Pulte will face intense scrutiny as he oversees the nation's intelligence apparatus in an acting capacity.