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Improving Small Business Cyber Security Act of 2016

Floor Speech

Date: Sept. 21, 2016
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security Technology and Communication

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Mr. RATCLIFFE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5064, the Improving Small Business Cyber Security Act of 2016. I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hanna) for leading the charge on this very important piece of legislation. I also thank Chairman Chabot for his leadership on the Small Business Committee and Chairman McCaul for his leadership on the Committee on Homeland Security.

Mr. Speaker, American small businesses are on the frontlines in the battle against cybercriminals, but right now many of them lack the resources to combat this growing and sophisticated threat. America's 28 million small businesses constitute 54 percent of our annual sales here in the United States and, because of that, they are under cyber attack like never before. The frequency and high costs of such attacks on small businesses is causing ripple effects throughout our economy right now.

H.R. 5064 amends the Homeland Security Act to ensure that Small Business Development Centers can leverage existing cybersecurity programs at the Department of Homeland Security. Additionally, this bill requires the Department of Homeland Security and the Small Business Administration to jointly develop a cyber strategy for small businesses so that they can better utilize cyber programs from DHS and from the Federal Government.

H.R. 5064 also requires a review by the Government Accountability Office of current cybersecurity programs offered by the Federal Government to small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, Small Business Development Centers have been on the ground helping small businesses in this country for more than 30 years. They have a presence in virtually every community in this country. This bill provides them with tools, resources, and the expert guidance that they need to tap into the already existing cyber resources in order to better meet the 21st century needs of small businesses in this country.

Small businesses, Mr. Speaker, are the life blood of the American economy, so we need to ensure that resources are available to all of them to combat these cyber threats. This bill works to achieve that goal.

I, therefore, ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5064.

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