Public-Private Cybersecurity Cooperation Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Public-Private Cybersecurity Cooperation Act.

Strengthening our cybersecurity must be a top national priority. International hackers and nation-states are waging a war against us in cyberspace.

These threats are aimed at our economic, political, and national security institutions.

Between 2011 and 2013, Iranian hackers attacked dozens of American banks and even tried to shut down a dam in New York.

In 2014, Chinese hackers stole over 22.5 million security clearances, including my own, from the Office of Personnel Management.

In 2016, Russia meddled in our presidential election.

Because we use computer networks in our personal and professional lives, almost everyone is a target.

With each passing day, cyber threats continue to grow, but the government cannot face these threats alone. We need help from the private sector.

Today's legislation will direct the Department of Homeland Security Secretary to develop and implement a vulnerability disclosure program that will allow threat researchers from the private sectors to identify and report cybersecurity flaws found in the Department's information systems.

Currently, there is no legal avenue that allows them to do so. This legislation solves that problem.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Leader McCarthy for his years of commitment to innovation and cybersecurity, and for his work on this bill in particular.

He truly understands the nature of this threat and why it is so important to have a strong cyber partnership between the public and private sectors.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that this bipartisan legislation will help DHS better protect its vital networks, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support this bill. It is at a time when there is a lot of partisanship going on. I think it is healthy to see a truly bipartisan bill on such an important issue regarding our national security.

I think, as the gentleman from Louisiana pointed out, this is modeled after a program that the Department of Defense successfully deployed, and I am proud of the record my committee has had on passing, I think, close to 110 bills now, and almost all of them are bipartisan.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my Senate colleagues to at least take up some of them and do the same, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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