National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I speak on amendment No. 4260 to the National Defense Authorization Act, which would elevate U.S. Cyber Command to a combatant command.

In 1986, Congress passed a law elevating and establishing U.S. Special Operations Command to address the rapidly growing need for special operators and to unify our forces. Think about that. Today they are now leading the effort against ISIS. There is another force quietly leading a battle against ISIS, and it is on a completely new battlefield. U.S. Cyber Command is one of our most important elements in the fight against terrorism today and tomorrow.

I stand today with eight bipartisan cosponsors to my amendment, including the chairman of the Armed Services Committee. I thank them for their support. This includes Senators Warner, Bennet, Murkowski, Cardin, and Blumenthal, as well as Senators Gardner and Ernst.

The Commander of Cyber Command recently testified before the Armed Services Committee, stating that an elevation to a combatant command ``would allow them to be faster, generating better mission outcomes.''

At a time when ISIS is rapidly recruiting online and developing technology like self-driving cars packed full of explosives, the United States needs to ensure that cyber and technology warfare is at the top of our priorities. U.S. Cyber Command needs to be able to react quickly and to engage the enemy effectively. Our troops need to be as effective online as they are in the air, in the land or at sea. To do all of that, we need to elevate them to a combatant command, where they will be reporting directly to the President of the United States through the Secretary of Defense.

I have provided for a plan in this year's Defense appropriations bill to fund this in the future, and I am committed to ensuring the elevation of Cyber Command is successful. In the long run, we need to ensure that they have increased access to training, to top equipment, and to ensure their other commands are able to integrate the forces successfully.

Right now as we debate the National Defense Authorization Act, we need to ensure that we give them the authority to defeat our adversaries, and that means elevation to a combatant command. The threat of a cyber attack is one of the fastest growing threats facing our Nation, and we cannot stand by as the Department of Defense delays to act on this urgent need.

I urge my colleagues to support my amendment No. 4260, which will elevate U.S. Cyber Command to a combatant command.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source