Sean Plankey, the twice-nominated candidate for the position of director of the U.S. federal cybersecurity agency CISA, has requested to withdraw from his nomination due to a hold-up in the Senate, which requires a vote to approve his appointment. This leaves the agency without a permanent leader. Plankey's withdrawal leaves Nick Andersen, who has been acting director since February. The White House has not yet responded to Plankey’s request, nor has specified who it plans to nominate as the permanent director. The agency has faced a challenging year, including at least three government shutdowns, several rounds of furloughs, and budget cuts.