Protecting Information By Local Leaders for Agency Resilience Act

Floor Speech

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5078, which reauthorizes the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program until 2033.

First established 4 years ago in the bipartisan infrastructure law based on legislation authored by Representative Yvette Clarke, the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program has provided $1 billion in funding for State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments so that they can strengthen their cyber defenses.

Earlier this year, the Cybersecurity Subcommittee held a hearing to evaluate the program and receive testimony from the National League of Cities, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, and one of the Nation's top cybersecurity firms. Their assessment was clear: The State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program has worked.

From Connecticut to Kentucky to Utah, the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program has forged partnerships that have helped detect and thwart attacks, built resilience, and stretched dollars further.

From municipal services to our school systems, the services that our constituents rely on every day are more secure today than they were 4 years ago, but our work is not done. Despite the impressive progress that State and local governments have made to improve their cybersecurity posture, many jurisdictions across the country, particularly rural areas, remain unacceptably vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Every day, State and local governments must defend against cyber intrusions from transnational criminal gangs and nation-state adversaries. The Federal Government has an obligation to leverage its resources, expertise, and intelligence to defend our State and local governments from these sophisticated threats.

There are no other circumstances under which we would expect a State or local government to defend itself from an attack from a state actor, particularly from China, Russia, or Iran. With this essential program's authorization set to expire on January 30, enacting a long-term reauthorization will help provide stability to the program and, importantly, build a case for appropriating more funding for it.

At a time when the Trump administration has been cutting vital cybersecurity resources for State and local governments, such as the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, it is more important than ever that Congress step up to provide more funding for State and local cybersecurity.

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

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5078, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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