Cyber Diplomacy Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1251, the Cyber Diplomacy Act of 2021, as amended, by my good friend and the Foreign Affairs Committee's ranking member, Mr. McCaul. I thank him for his work on this important bill.

This Congress, the House Foreign Affairs Committee aims to prioritize efforts to reassert American leadership on a variety of issues. I can't think of any issue that is more timely than ensuring American leadership is prepared to confront the growing national security challenge in cyberspace.

The U.S. is increasingly under attack online by foreign actors, whether it is the recent SolarWinds hack or other attempted cyber intrusions on critical American infrastructure.

Now more than ever, we need a senior cyber diplomat who can support American efforts to keep the internet open, interoperable, reliable, and secure.

To demonstrate how seriously the United States takes these issues, it is vital that we strengthen the State Department's tools to address the challenges in cyberspace to American foreign policy. The State Department needs a bureau capable and focused on tackling the growing global challenges of cybersecurity, the digital economy, and internet freedom in order to be better prepared to advance America's international interests on cyber policy.

Madam Speaker, that is exactly what this Cyber Diplomacy Act will do. Our allies and adversaries are prioritizing international engagement to set the standards and rules that govern how the internet is structured and used. The United States has always been a leader in this space, and now is the time to redouble our efforts to ensure we remain an influential voice in establishing the rules of the road.

It is critical that the United States prioritize our diplomatic efforts in this area and work with our partners and allies to establish agreed-upon norms. To keep the internet open and accessible, we must push back against countries that will exploit the internet to pilfer our intellectual property and hack into our country's most sensitive information, and which seek to derail international norms.

This bill is critical to supporting these key priorities. It authorizes the Bureau of International Cyberspace Policy to lead the State Department's cyber diplomatic efforts, including on issues relating to international cybersecurity, internet access and freedom, and international cyber threats, including countering terrorists' use of cyberspace.

This bill also directs the President to devise a strategy related to U.S. engagement with foreign governments on international norms with respect to responsible state behavior in cyberspace.

I am also pleased that in authorizing this office, we make clear bipartisan congressional intent that the Bureau of International Cyberspace Policy is comprised of a diverse workforce. Like the rest of our national security policy establishments, we know that ensuring a diverse and inclusive workforce improves the effectiveness of national security activities, and this bill makes that intent very clear.

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Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 1251, the Cyber Diplomacy Act, introduced by my friend and the ranking member, Mr. McCaul, is bipartisan legislation that is essential to America's national security and positioning our country to meet the current and future threats in cyberspace head-on.

This bill will give the State Department the tools it needs to further secure peace, stability, and economic prosperity for the United States in the cyber realm now and in the future.

Again, I hope all of my colleagues join both Mr. McCaul and myself in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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